Openings & Closings: Uptown Whole Foods; Andrew’s Honey Emporium; Oriental Lamp Shade Co.; Xi’an Famous Foods; Spectrum; European Wax Center

By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava

Uptown Whole Foods, 2421 Broadway (at West 89th Street), is planning to close later this week or next week, a manager confirmed with the Rag. The supermarket has been there for more than 30 years under different ownership. “People are very sad because they have been customers for a long, long time – 20 years, 25 years,” the manager said. “It’s not the best time of the year to do this, but we must do [it].” Four years ago, WSR reported that the market signed a ten-year lease after almost closing due to the pandemic. There is a 50% sale going on for all products. (Thanks to Abra and Jonathan for the tips.) 

Andrew’s Honey Emporium is planning to have a soft opening at 315 Columbus Avenue (West 75th Street) – in the space that was previously a Benefit salon – on Sunday, December 22nd, and to open in earnest in the spring. Upper West Siders might already be familiar with Andrew’s Honey from its distinctive truck that’s often parked in the neighborhood, as the owner, Andrew Coté, lives nearby. He regularly has a booth at the Union Square Greenmarket and this will be the first brick-and mortar store in the family’s 130 years of beekeeping. 

Coté sources honey from the apiaries he keeps on 45 building rooftops, balconies, and community gardens across New York City, including three on the UWS. “The more local the honey, the more beneficial it is for the person in terms of allergy relief, amongst other things, not to mention the smaller carbon footprint,” he said. “I don’t think that there are too many foods that can be produced within a few blocks of the Upper West Side.” He is also looking for another beekeeping space in the neighborhood to host “bee experiences” that allow people to visit and learn about beehives. The fourth generation beekeeper is approaching the new venture with cautious optimism. “I don’t think of myself as a businessman or a savvy entrepreneur, so I am probably going to make a lot of mistakes,” he said. “I’m counting on the generosity and good-naturedness of the Upper West Side to support this thing or gently reject it, whichever they see fit.” (Thanks to Eduardo for the tip.) 

Oriental Lamp Shade Co., at 223 West 79th Street (between Amsterdam and Broadway), is closing on December 23rd. A sign on the door thanks their valued customers for eight decades of business and for their unwavering support and loyalty throughout the years. “This marks the end of an era but it’s also the beginning of a new chapter,” the sign says. Oriental Lamp Shade will continue to operate online with a wider selection and improved pricing, the sign says. The store has been in the space for 88 years and has sold custom lampshades and lighting, including table lamps, porcelain lamps, floor lamps, and wall and ceiling light fixtures. They have also sold home and garden accessories.

Xi’an Famous Foods, the Chinese restaurant chain that’s popular for its spicy noodle dishes, is planning to open at 309 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 74th and 75th streets) on Saturday, December 14th. Xi’an previously had an Upper West Side location on Broadway between West 101st and 102nd streets, which closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. Since then, “We wanted to make a re-entry into the Upper West Side area,” said Jason Wang, Xi’an’s CEO, on a call with the Rag. Wang was born in Xi’an, China, and the restaurant’s menu is inspired by dishes created by his father, a chef. The two went into business together nearly 20 years ago. Xi’an Famous Foods has more than a dozen locations across Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. The space used to be Mimi Cheng’s, the dumpling restaurant, which closed in November. (Thanks to Ken for the tip.) 

Spectrum closed its store two weeks ago at 2300 Broadway (at West 83rd Street), which provided support for Internet, TV, mobile, and voice services, as well as selling devices and accessories. “As more interactions occur via online channels, we periodically review customer activity at our portfolio of stores to ensure we’re delivering the best service to our customers,” a company representative wrote to the Rag. The closest available Spectrum store is located at 2554 Broadway at West 96th Street. Employees from the 83rd Street branch, which opened in 2022, will be relocated. “We offer a wide variety of convenient options for customers to interact with us or make payments, including the MySpectrum app, online, via phone, chat and email, and in-store.” (Thanks to Leon for the tip.) 

European Wax Center, at 314 Columbus Avenue (between West 74th and 75th streets), reopened on Sunday, December 8th. The waxing salon had been closed for one week for renovations, which included new flooring, a representative told West Side Rag. European Wax Center offers waxing and laser hair removal services. They have another Upper West Side location at 805 Columbus Avenue (West 99th Street).

The Openings & Closings column wouldn’t be possible without our many tipsters: thank you! Anyone can send tips about openings and closings in the neighborhood to info@westsiderag.com.

Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.