Kafia Saxe (c0-owner)
Sept. 29, 2015 By Christian Murray
Communitea, the popular tea house and coffee shop that had been located on Vernon Blvd for a decade, reopened on 46th Road today.
Kafia Saxe and Lloyd Canning, the husband-and-wife duo who own of Communitea, closed their 47-02 Vernon Blvd location about a year ago after struggling to renew their lease. In the past nine months, they found new space at 11-18 46th Road and converted a carpenter’s shop into the cafe they opened today.
The new location is just a few blocks from their former space and was selected, in part, for that reason. “We wanted to be close to our customer base and we have kept a good connection in the past year,” Saxe said.
LIC Post first reported that Communitea was opening at this location in May.
Communitea is offering its traditional fare, such as salads, wraps, burgers, paninis, croissants and scones. The menu will be written on the blackboard behind the counter—similar to the old venue–in coming days.
Communitea will offer a dinner menu for the first time, although the items they will serve are still being determined.
The new location is significantly larger than the Vernon Boulevard space and also offers a patio. The venue can seat about 40 inside and a little over 20 in the patio.
The patio is still a work in progress and has to be approved by Community Board 2 before it can be used.
Communitea will be offering wine and beer for the first time, and will be serving local beer on tap.
The hours have yet to be determined but Saxe said they are likely to stay open until 10 pm during the week and midnight on weekends. Opening hours are expected to be around 8 am.
“Our hours are not set,” Saxe said. “We are just feeling it out.”
New location
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Former location (to become Gantry LIC)
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15 Comments
That place was dirty and their kitchen was a toaster oven and a microwave. The staff was never friendly.
Really happy to hear this. I haven’t found as comfortable a place to eat, drink and read since they closed. I’ll be there this weekend, too.
“Do they still have gentrifiers hours and close early? This place was never for working class who got out of work 5-7”
Wow that is a dumb comment. I don’t even know where to begin.
The original Communitea was a breakfast and lunch joint. Who has breakfast or lunch at 5pm?
Do you not take a lunch break? Oh, I get it…only evil gentrified take lunch.
This location was a Deli/Resturant when I was a young person. It served the people who worked and lived in that area. Yes it became a carpenter’s shop like many other businesses which had originally served the neighborhood years ago. We had all types of business in Hunters Point such as shoe stores, clothing stores, many grocery stores and butchers, a fish store and many bar’restaurants. Communitea was a good place to eat when I still lived in the area. Too many yuppies now.
aw I was hoping for another overpriced, over rated gastro pub….. we only have like 5 (soon to be 6) in the nabe.
Do they still have gentrifiers hours and close early? This place was never for working class who got out of work 5-7, every time I would want something In here they would be closed. I live in the neighborhood for over 25 years, I have an art studio down the block, and every time I would get out at work to buy something, they would be just closed, Who was communitea was really open for in the first place, Startup biz condo people? I find Dunkin Doughnuts more serving the community despite their nasty coffee
-Jason Artiga That’s what we felt about the artist when the artists moved in 25 years ago.
When they were on Vernon they did close earlier then I thought they should but I’m sure there was some reason behind it, often they seemed pretty empty in the hours prior to closing anyway. The new place has later hours as per the article. Regardless I’m glad to see they reopened and I hope the best for them, often moving just a short distance can cause a significant loss of business as regulars find other places to go.
Dude, it was a breakfast and lunch place. They didn’t serve dinner until they moved. Also, not clear how having an art studio is “working class.”
Jason: first, Communitea did not offer a dinner service at their old location. Why you find that so offensive speaks to well developed sense of entitlement. Second, the day of working class residents in Hunters Point are limited.
YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!
My favorite spot for Saturday/Sunday breakfast and coffee. And twice the seating space, great. I’ll be there this weekend.
Communitea when it was on Vernon was a regular stop for me. Good coffee. I’m glad they where able to reopen somewhat close, the owners are pleasant and I wish them the best.
One of the best pieces of news for the neighborhood this year!