LOWER EAST SIDE — Popular bar and music venue Cake Shop may be making a comeback in the near future — but it may be an ocean away from the original Ludlow Street outpost that closed its doors in January.
Proprietor Nick Bodor, who recently launched the cafe and cocktail bar Kind Regards in the Cake Shop's former space of 11 years, is browsing for new venues where the name can live on — and so far, his areas of interest include Glasgow, Edinburgh, Los Angeles and Bushwick.
"I'm actively looking in lots of places," Bodor told DNAinfo New York, explaining he had always wanted to expand but had been too busy keeping the Lower East Side bar afloat through years of financial strain to pursue that dream.
"I believe in the Cake Shop brand. I felt we could do more with it, but was more concerned with keeping the doors open than really trying to grow it," he explained. "I've always been putting out feelers, and now as Kind Regards is open and it seems like hopefully it'll be successful, I can really concentrate. I don't want Cake Shop to be dormant for too long."
Kevin Buckle of the Edinburgh record shop Avalanche Records recently penned a column in the Edinburgh Evening News enthusiastically calling on the bar to bring its steady stream of music and comedy gigs to the Scottish capital. Bodor, whose wife is Scottish, had reached out to Buckle for guidance in shopping for spaces.
Buckle expressed trepidation that Cake Shop may be focusing more on Glasgow instead — a move Bodor acknowledged is a distinct possibility.
"Glasgow is this amazing rock town," he said. "I think it would be more viable, really, to do a Cake Shop in Glasgow than in Edinburgh."
But nothing is set in stone, he noted. His team has been looking at spots in Bushwick and is also considering Los Angeles as a prime city to foster the shop's reputation as a place for stand-up comedy. The team is also toying with the idea of launching a pop-up project or hosting a music festival.
The decision will likely hinge on finding the right business partner and investors to carry out the project, Bodor said.
