Black Tap LES Melts After 2-Year Stint in Hell Square
November 2017
Just over two years to the day after its controversial debut in Hell Square, Black Tap LES is no more. The Ludlow Street outpost of the popular burgers-and-shakes chain went dark earlier this month.
A spate of costly lawsuits, coupled with an apparent lack of foot traffic – locals were expecting hordes based on other locales – may have also played a role.
Nevertheless, the address still appears on the official Black Tap website, despite being listed as closed on Yelp and Google News.
And now it seems that building owner SMA Equities put the 2,000 square-foot commercial space on the market. A listing surfaced on Craigslist last week. Monthly rent not disclosed.
In its prior life, the ground floor of 177 Ludlow previously hosted the beloved EarthMatters. After SMA purchased the tenement in 2012, the cafe closed. 100 Montaditos followed two years later but lasted only a couple months before closing. Other businesses considered the space before Black Tap, including Quality Eats.
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