Red Compass Loses its Way, Sits Closed for Months
For the second time inside a year, Georgian eatery Red Compass on Orchard Street is closed without notice. Only now, the outage appears permanent.
Gates have been drawn during business hours for the last couple months. Calls to the Hell Square establishment all go directly to voicemail. Based on Yelp reviews, it appears the last meals happened sometime in early October.
One potential patron was pretty pissed, too, according to Yelp, when she tried to book a reservation during this closure period. Especially since there is no messaging to this effect online or in real life.
Surprised?
The first inkling of potential demise actually arrived about a year ago – in January 2017 – when the landlord taped a “Rent Demand” letter to the shuttered gates. Ownership had apparently owed landlord Abraham Noy nearly $14K in back rent, but the issue was resolved and the restaurant reopened shortly thereafter.
As previously reported, the quasi-legal commercial space at 154 Orchard is one of the most notorious cursed spaces on the Lower East Side, and Red Compass played right into it. Despite warnings from the community during the booze application process. You’ll recall that the establishment opened in December 2015, displacing David Owens Vintage which decamped eastward on Rivington. Proprietor Beka Peradze tried several times for an upgrade to full liquor license – most recently in October – but met denial at the hands of Community Board 3.
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