Openings & Closings: La Bomboniera; Safta’s Coffee and Fine Foods; Willet’s Corner; NY Loves Yoga; Wells Fargo Bank

By Lisa Kava and Sara Lewin Lebwohl

La Bomboniera, an Italian espresso and wine bar, opened on November 3rd  at 203 West 82nd Street (between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway). The menu features Italian coffee, pastries, biscotti, small plates, panini, wine, and cocktails.  It is owned by husband-and-wife team Nela and Artie Hidric; they  also have a location on the Upper East Side. La Bomboniera in Italian means “a box of gifts,” Nela Hidric told West Side Rag on a phone call. The wine bar will feature “a blend of Italian coffee culture and European wine bar vibes,” she said. Hours are: Monday through Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to  8 p.m.  “We are very excited to be part of the neighborhood,” Hidric told the Rag. The space was previously Fang Cleaners and a palm-reading business. (Thanks to Christopher for the tip.)

Safta’s Coffee and Fine Foods, a kosher market at 2345 Broadway (at West 86th Street), closed permanently on November 3rd, owner Sonny Gindi confirmed to West Side Rag on a phone call. He did not want to give a reason for the closing but said that he “wishes the community all the best.” Safta’s opened in February 2025 and sold Middle Eastern-inspired pastries, grab-and-go meals and curated pantry items. The shop also sold bagels, sandwiches, challah, and babka, and offered private catering as well. (Thanks to Tom for the tip.)

Willet’s Corner, a restaurant with a “healthful menu designed for sharing,” opened on November 4th at 420 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 80th Street.) For now, the restaurant is open for dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays from 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., but future plans include Saturday and Sunday brunches. Willet’s Corner “offers a menu of shareable ingredient driven dishes alongside a beverage program that highlights classic cocktails,” a representative wrote to West Side Rag. Menu items include snackable dishes such as fig toast with whipped ricotta, roasted za’atar cauliflower, squash and sage flatbread, among others. The restaurant also serves sandwiches, a selection of pastas, and housemade desserts. It is owned by Ken Halberg, formerly of Hardings, an American restaurant which was in Flatiron for 25 years. Willet’s Corner is named for Halberg’s father’s street — Willet’s Drive — in the Hudson Valley.  The restaurant has an 11-seat bar in addition to the dining room. Black Lab Cafe, the dog-friendly restaurant which closed in February 2025, was previously in the space.

NY Loves Yoga, a yoga studio at 140 West 83rd Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues), temporarily relocated to Momentum Fitness, at 246 Columbus Avenue (at West 72nd Street), on November 2nd. The move is due to a fire in the building where NY Loves Yoga was located, which occurred in the morning of October 27th, damaging the studio. “The fire was severe enough that we will not be back in at 83rd Street for six months,” MJ Watkins, the owner, told West Side Rag.

“Marco Guanilo, the owner of Momentum fitness emailed us with his kindness and generosity giving us the opportunity to share his space through December,” Watkins told the Rag. Guanilo used to live on West 83rd Street and often attended yoga classes at NY Loves Yoga. “My wife and I are both local business owners, so we are very big on giving back to the community and this seemed like the right thing to do for a fellow local business in need,”  Guanilo said. He is committed to sharing his space through the end of the year, for which Watkins is very grateful.

“Without Marco stepping up, there’s a good chance we would have lost our business,” Watkins said. (Thanks to Sharon for the tip.)

Wells Fargo Bank  at 2039 Broadway (at West 70th Street), is closing that location on November 7th, and will be relocating to 2101 Broadway (at West 73rd Street). The new branch, which is in the Ansonia building, will open on November 10th at 9 am. The space was previously occupied by The North Face which closed in January 2023.

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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