By Jordan Heller
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
GREENWICH VILLAGE — O Cafe opened on West 12th Street Monday offering artisanal Brazillian coffees and desserts, a modern decor, and a staff that's friendly and eager to please.
There's just one problem: it sits in the former home of Joe Jr's, a greasy spoon that was a beloved Greenwich Village institution until it shuttered after a dispute with its landlord in 2009.
Gus Theodoro, 71, a Greenwich Village resident for 50 years, stopped into O Cafe at 482 Sixth Ave. Monday morning, to see what the new place was all about.
"This is not an indictment on O Cafe, but Joe Jr's was a place where people had roots," said Theodoro. "This coffee and apple tart are wonderful [at O Cafe], but Joe's was like a second home for people. Coffee is more than just coffee; there's a social factor, and I'm undecided on whether this place has it."
Fernando Aciar, the owner of O Cafe, said he loved Joe Jr's and hoped that former Joe Jr's patrons would enjoy his place.
"I just want to bring quality to the neighborhood," said Aciar, adding that, "so far, the neighbors love us."
O Cafe's decor is rustic, but sleek, with minimalist wooden stools that belly up to wooden counters offering a view of Sixth Avenue. Aciar prides himself on bringing high-quality, organic Brazillian coffees and chocolates to the Village, and boasts that the design and materials of his shop are all sustainable.
"We're a real green business," said Aciar.
O Cafe was bustling on Monday, and initial reviews were that the coffee and desserts were top-notch.
But for fans of Joe's, the presense of O Cafe only served as a reminder of what the neighborhood had lost.
Carol Snyder, 69, a longtime Greenwich Village resident, said that Joe's was the kind of place that was so informal that you could come in your pajamas and at the same time be sitting next to Matthew Broderick, Meryl Streep or Marissa Tomei.
"But it was a real cross-section," she said. "Young, old, doctors and shopkeepers. It was a very special place where you could get to know your neighbors."
Snyder said she wished O Cafe luck and will give them a shot, but complained that the seats, which had no backs, were not very accommodating for a woman of her age.
Brad Hoylman, 45, a longtime Greenwich Village resident and former chair of Community Board 2, also wished O Cafe the best.
"But there's no replacing an institution like Joe Jr's," he added, "where not only could you get your eggs and coffee but you could have a conversation with a neighbor."
Jonathan Keller, 41, who's lived on West 12th Street for 18 years, said when Joe's shuttered, "to us, it was like Ebbets Field closing."
On her way out, Snyder let it be known that the new place might just have a shot at her business yet.
"I complained to the owner that the seats didn't have any backs on them," she said. "He told me he would get some just for me."
