'Spring Natural' Shuts Down After 47 Years in SoHo
Posted on: January 2nd, 2020 at 5:00 am	by Staff
Photo: Google Maps
It's an oft-repeated trend in the gentrified city. Business is forced from its longtime location, settles elsewhere, then closes shortly after. In the case of Spring Natural, the latter leg of the journey was about four years.
The restaurant announced its official closure last night – on New Year's Day – after forty-seven years serving the downtown crowd. Its last four were spent as refugees from the namesake street, around the corner at 98 Kenmare.
"It is with sadness that we report the closing of Spring Natural after 47 years," ownership wrote on Facebook. "We have always been a family owned and operated Soho small business. We feel truly blessed to have been able to serve so many people, and the community as a whole, over so many years."
Reason for the closure was not provided.
On Spring St., Feb. 2015
Spring Street Natural was founded in 1973 by Rustam Schoenholt. The first location was in SoHo, but moved to the more well known 62 Spring space in 1985.
As previously reported, Schoenholt fell victim to alleged rent gouging, and lost the home of three decades. Indeed, with an expiring lease on hand, the landlord reportedly more than quintupled the monthly rent. Chefs Club swooped in and reportedly signed a fifteen-year lease on the 3,400 square-foot store, with an asking rent of about $184K per month.
Upon opening at 98 Kenmare Street in February 2016, the restaurant dropped the "street" from its name.
98 Kenmare Street Spring Street Natural
Kenmare Street