PARK SLOPE — The paint is fresh, the couches are new, but the atmosphere is familiar.
A new cafe called Sir D's Lounge opened in the former Tea Lounge space at 837 Union St. on Thursday, welcoming customers with the same homey vibe that made the Tea Lounge a neighborhood favorite.
"The whole neighborhood is happy," said co-owner Chris Dixon, whose family also owns the nearby Dixon's Bike Shop.
Park Slope bid a teary farewell to the Tea Lounge in December 2014 after 14 years in business. The spacious cafe, which served coffee all day and alcohol in the evening, was a magnet for freelancers looking for a spot to park their laptops and for others in search of a low-key hangout.
In wake of the closure, a band of regulars cooked up a plan to revamp the space as a combination co-working space and community center, but that vision never came to fruition. The Dixons, who own 837 Union St., decided to take over the space themselves.
The Dixons repainted the interior of the space a bright mint green and outfitted it with a new set of comfy furniture.
Chris Dixon said they got advice from the owners of the former Tea Lounge as well as Tony Abbas, a former partner at La Bagel Delight on Seventh Avenue and Sixth Street.
"The space is totally unique," Abbas said Thursday. "It's somewhere you can eat, enjoy your drink, relax and maybe do a little work."
