Openings & Closings: Sofia Storage; Willets Restaurant; PWR NYC; Saperavi; White Birch Nail & Spa; Leithium; Bagel Talk; ‘No Name Bakery’

By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava

Sofia Storage, the longtime self-storage facility at 475 Amsterdam Ave. (between West 82nd and 83rd streets), was acquired in June by another storage company called Storage Post.

Established in 1910, Sofia Storage Centers have been run by the Sofia family in New York for three generations, according to the company’s description on Yelp. “They are an amazing family. They have been unlike anybody I’ve ever done business with for 40 years,” said Richard Corman, the renowned photographer who has used the facility since the 1990s. Corman also had a small gallery in a storefront of the building, which was made possible by the Sofias. “They really wanted to bring art to the community. They were just supportive of the whole process. So [I] couldn’t have been more fortunate,” he said.

Storage Post was founded in 1998 and operates facilities in New York City, New Jersey, Illinois, and New Orleans. According to Storage Post’s website, the UWS location has units available to rent at varying sizes from lockers (3’x3’) to “extra large” rooms (10’x25’). Representatives from Sofia Storage and Storage Post did not respond to the Rag’s outreach. (Thanks to Eric for the tip.)

Willets, a farm-to-table style restaurant, is planning to open at 420 Amsterdam Ave. (northwest corner of West 80th Street) in the fall. It is backed by Ken Halberg, who has served as a general manager at many restaurants in New York City – most recently Harding’s, a restaurant in Flatiron. While prioritizing locally grown ingredients from the Hudson Valley, Halberg is also shooting for affordability. “There will be no entrees over $29,” he said at a recent Community Board 7 meeting. “It’s hard to get a really high-quality meal these days [at that price point] and it’s hard for the restaurants, too.” The space used to be Black Lab Cafe, which closed in February. Once renovated, it will have 50 seats and a bar with 12 seats, he said.

PWR NYC, a strength-training gym, officially opened on July 14th at 2284 Broadway (between West 82nd and 83rd streets). Carolyn Osborne, the owner, grew up on the Upper West Side and started working out as a teenager at a gym in the neighborhood. It’s there that she decided to pursue a career in strength training, and she went on to get a degree in exercise science. But working as a trainer at a commercial gym left her feeling dissatisfied. “It was very intimidating, and everything was just about hitting quotas, and it was super impersonal,” Osborne said on a call with the Rag. PWR NYC will have a more individualized approach, with one-on-one training and small-group classes capped at six people. Osborne trains a broad range of clients with different needs, including pre- and post-natal women, athletes getting ready for college sports, and older adults. Osborne described the process of starting the business as logistically challenging but also exciting. “It felt very full circle, learning how to work out three blocks from where I’m opening a gym,” she said. The space used to be a Sprint telecommunications store.

Saperavi, a popular Georgian restaurant and wine bar in the East Village, is opening an UWS location at 410 Amsterdam Ave. (between West 79th and 80th streets). They are hoping for a soft opening in late August or early September, a representative wrote to the Rag. Saperavi also has a location at East 14th Street, which serves authentic Georgian dishes including lobio (bean stew), kupati (sausage), khinkali (dumplings), and many varieties of skewers, cheese breads, and more. Wine has been made for more than 8,000 years in Georgia, making it one of the oldest wine-making regions in the world, and the name “Saperavi” is a type of grape native to that country. The space used to be Sushi Nonaka and Boka, which closed in April.

White Birch Nail & Spa at 255 West 84th St. (between West End Ave. and Broadway) has closed due to a rent increase, the owner explained on a call with the Rag. They hope to reopen at another location on the Upper West Side, though there are no definite plans yet. White Birch’s services included manicures, pedicures, massages, facials, and more. The business opened in 2023. (Thanks to Jennifer for the tip.)

Leithium, an upscale, membership-based club backed by Jamal Raghei, an Upper West Sider of nearly 30 years, is being planned for the former home of Scaletta Ristorante, at 50 West 77th St. (just off of Columbus Ave.). “Our idea is that it’s for professional individuals that are age 40 and over,” said Erin Bellard, a consultant on the project, at a recent Community Board 7 meeting. “We want it to be calm, exclusive, tech-free. The idea is that it’s a place of connection and engagement, and we want to offer an elevated social experience.” While the plan is still in its early phases, the hope is to curate events, such as occasional performances featuring a pianist or jazz singer, as well as wine and whiskey tastings. The club also could cater to the before-and-after crowds of people attending shows at Lincoln Center and other cultural venues on the UWS.

It will be formal – jackets will be required – and there will be a membership fee in the range of $400 to $600 per month. Non-members will be able to enter by paying a $50 cover charge. At the meeting, Bellard and Raghei addressed community board members’ questions about diversity, affirming that the club would be open to everyone. They also spoke about the price tag. “We think there’s a market for it in a lot of the high-end buildings on the Upper West Side; where people leave the neighborhood, we’d like to keep some of that on the Upper West Side,” said Bellard. Scaletta Ristorante, the former occupant, closed in 2018 after 30 years and has been vacant since then. The venture is still about a year away from opening, due to the significant buildout ahead. There will be seating for approximately 85 people.

Bagel Talk at 368 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 77th and West 78th streets) reopened on July 12th after being temporarily closed since May for renovations. Owner Abad Islam told West Side Rag that the renovation was primarily “mechanical and electrical” and that construction was taking place in the building where access to the bagel shop was needed. Bagel Talk had been shut down by the Health Department for violations in October 2024 and had reopened a month later after correcting the violations. “Our bagels are the only NYC authentic bagels left on the Upper West Side after Absolute Bagels,” Islam wrote to the Rag. Islam has been dedicated to serving bagels on the Upper West Side through crises. “We remained open during Hurricane Sandy and COVID-19 when most businesses were closed,” Islam said. “We also donated thousands of bagels to healthcare workers and first responders. I am looking forward to serving the community again.”

ICYMI: No Name Bakery, the yet-to-be-named establishment replacing Silver Moon Bakery, is expected to open next week at 2664 Broadway (between West 101st and 102nd streets), just a few blocks south of Silver Moon’s longtime location. The new venture is backed by Hazem Elgohary, the owner of Buttercup Bakeshop, and has the blessing of Silver Moon’s former owner Judith Norell. The business plans to use Silver Moon’s ovens, mixers, ingredients, and supplies, and retain multiple members of the old staff, with Norell as an advisor. WSR will publish details about the bakery’s opening date when it is announced.

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.

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