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SoHo Says Hello to DIGS Boutique, Goodbye to Porto Rico Importing Co.

By Andrea Swalec | January 18, 2012 9:14am
Melvin Master Jr. is the juice guru of Melvin's Juice Box, which is now located next door to the hip West Houston Street restaurant Miss Lily's Favourite Cakes.
Melvin Master Jr. is the juice guru of Melvin's Juice Box, which is now located next door to the hip West Houston Street restaurant Miss Lily's Favourite Cakes.
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Miss Lily's

OPENINGS:

DIGS, an acronym for "done in great style," announced its grand opening in prime SoHo shopping country on Sunday. The 284 Lafayette St. shop, which initially opened at the end of December, sells women's clothing and accessories at "affordable price points" with "European sophistication and timeless elegance," according to a statement. Dresses listed on the brand's website range in price from $125 for a three-quarter-sleeve black knit dress with a back zipper to $1,200 for a long, black dress in vintage lace.

The trendy West Indian spot Miss Lily's Favourite Cakes now has its own gallery, bakery, juice bar and boutique. Miss Lily's Variety & Bake Shop and Melvin's Juice Box opened Jan. 14, a spokeswoman confirmed. The 132 W. Houston St. shop mimics West Indian record stores, in "respectful tribute to the booming musical tradition of the Caribbean," a statement said. The boutique sells books, jewelry and gifts, and the bakery and juice bar features homemade Jamaican patties and a house coffee brew called the "Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend."

Porto Rico Importing Co.'s Thompson Street location closed just before the new year, store owner Peter Longo wrote on the store's blog.
Porto Rico Importing Co.'s Thompson Street location closed just before the new year, store owner Peter Longo wrote on the store's blog.
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Flickr/sharlenesu

CLOSINGS:

Porto Rico Importing Co. still runs its Bleecker Street store, which opened in 1907, but its Thompson Street location is no more. The coffee and tea seller's 107 Thompson St. location closed just before the new year, store owner Peter Longo wrote on the store's blog. "The rent is too damn high," he said. "After 45+ years, this store will always hold a special place in my heart." Three generations of the Longo family have run the business, according to its website. Coffee and tea fans can find a wide range of drink supplies, espresso machine parts, spices, housewares, Italian bitters and more at the shop.