ASTORIA — The owners of The Queens Kickshaw plan to open a vegetarian Chinese restaurant in its place next month after shuttering their space on Broadway and 41st Street after six years.
Husband-and-wife owners Ben Sandler and Jennifer Lim — who announced Kickshaw's closure last month in order to "address growing business challenges, and reinvent ourselves" — say the new eatery will serve takes on traditional Chinese dishes and American-Chinese takeout.
"That’s what Jen and I love to eat at home and when we go out," Sandler said. "We definitely feel very inspired by what we can do with Chinese cuisine."
Grub Street was first to report on the concept for the new restaurant, which is so far unnamed.
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Credit: The Queens Kickshaw
Sandler said they're still working on the specific menu, but that like Kickshaw — which was known for its fancy grilled cheese sandwiches and other comfort food — the new restaurant won't serve meat (both he and Lim are vegetarians).
It will offer both sit-down and takeout meals, and will have a more scaled-back coffee and beer menu than Kickshaw, which was known for both.
"We still will hold true to our roots to a certain degree though," Sandler said. "We've always promoted fine cider, and we're going to continue to have ciders on our list."
They're hoping to open the new site in October, he said.
