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Rapha Cycle Club Gets Community Board OK For Wine and Beer on Prince Street

By Danielle Tcholakian | September 11, 2015 3:50pm | Updated on September 14, 2015 8:39am
 Rapha Racing Club is moving into the storefront at 159 Prince St.
Rapha Racing Club is moving into the storefront at 159 Prince St.
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DNAinfo/Danielle Tcholakian

SOHO — Rapha Cycle Club is on track to move to 159 Prince St., though it remains to be seen whether they'll be able to use the backyard at their new space.

Rapha came to be a haven for cycling enthusiasts since it opened at 64 Gansevoort St. about two years ago, but is being forced to move to make way for a massive redevelopment of the entire south side of Gansevoort Street from Ninth Avenue to Washington Street.

Their store on Gansevoort Street holds a small cafe serving snacks, coffee and beer, and their aim is to replicate that at their new location, according to Clifford Sutherland, a representative for the London-based company.

The Prince Street shop will include four tables and 16 seats, Sutherland said when he presented Rapha's application for a new wine and beer license to Community Board 2 at a recent liquor licensing committee meeting.

"I'm glad that you were able to find a location somewhat close," committee co-chair Carter Booth said.

The shop will close at 7 p.m., Sutherland said, and their operation will be almost exactly the same as it has been in the Meatpacking District.

"The difference is that there is an outdoor backyard space here that we would like to use," Sutherland explained.

Sutherland said he has been told by various experts and officials that they can use the backyard, but the committee said they would need to see a Certificate of Occupancy or a letter of no objection before giving their OK for a license there.

(A Certificate of Occupancy is a city document that shows what uses are permitted for various areas of any given property. The Department of Buildings online records system does not have one listed for 159 Prince St.)

In the meantime, the committee approved Rapha to serve wine and beer inside the premises.

A spokesman for Rapha said they plan to open in SoHo in early 2016.

"The store will maintain the look and feel... of being a wonderful destination for road cyclists looking to shop, watch live professional bike race or simply have a coffee/snack before heading out for their own ride," spokesman Derrick Lewis said in an email.