By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
EAST VILLAGE — Popular neighborhood coffee shop The Bean on First Avenue was suddenly shuttered Wednesday after it was seized by the state for failure to pay thousands of dollars in taxes.
The busy shop, at the corner of East 3rd Street, had its doors padlocked and a bright-orange "SEIZED" notice taped to front door stating that the property was now owned by the state, EV Grieve first reported.
A spokeswoman for the state Department of Taxation and Finance said the establishment owes nearly $25,000 in sales tax dating back to late 2009.
An employee of the coffee shop, who declined to give her name, arrived at the café for her 3 p.m. shift Wednesday only to find that the place had been shuttered.
"I'm sure people are going to be very upset about it," said the staffer, noting she hadn't previously heard of the closure from fellow employees.
A patron who was inside the coffee shop Wednesday said a group of marshals came in around noon and cleared out all the customers before locking the business.
"This is a hugely successful, wonderful place," said Robert Shapiro, 54. "I'm so perplexed. This is like the hub of the neighborhood."
Other would-be patrons gathered outside The Bean Wednesday to speculate on what caused it to close without warning.
"I'm shocked. I was here last night," said Kathryn Rerich, 68, of East 3rd Street, who added that the owner had a lax dog policy and would let anyone sit on the benches located outside the shop. "This place is so loved."
The East 3rd resident explained that the owner — who patrons new only as Ike — once gave her $50 to pay a ticket she received for having her miniature pinscher off leash outside the café.
"It was like the old East Village," Rerich said. "How sad."
Calls to the coffee shop went unanswered Wednesday, and the owner could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Department of Taxation and Finance spokeswoman added that four warrants for failure to pay taxes totaling $24,784.50 are still open on the property.
The address made headlines back in September when a taxicab jumped a curb and smashed into the café, injuring five people.
Shapiro wondered where locals would go for their caffeine fix with The Bean now behind lock and key.
"Everyone's walking around drowsy," he said.
