Boris & Horton has served as a staple in the dog-friendly business community for the past seven years at 195 Avenue A in East Village. However, the cafe closed its doors in November amid ongoing economic struggles.
“We’ve experienced a significant drop in our monthly subscriptions, with almost 90% churn, and our sales are slightly down compared to last year when we initially made the difficult decision to close,” founders Logan Mikhly and Coppy Holzman said in an Instagram post on Nov. 8. “Over the past several months, we’ve been in discussions with a few potential buyers but unfortunately haven’t been able to close a deal. With a heavy heart, we’re sharing that unless new ownership is found, we will be closing our doors this month.”
Though the cafe closed, the two did manage to make a deal. On Jan. 16, an announcement on the Boris & Horton Instagram page shared that new owner Carol Krakowski, alongside her dog Baja, is taking over ownership and planning to reopen the beloved business.
Krakowski told What Now New York that her background is in finance, not hospitality, but she was looking for a career change.
“I was inspired by some of the other dog businesses in other cities around the country. I left my corporate job and started on a business plan to open something completely separate from Boris & Horton,” Krakowski said. “Then I saw through Instagram that they were for sale. I said, ‘We can’t lose the O.G. dog business in New York City.’”
Krakowski reached out to Mikhly and Holzman to express her interest in buying the business. Now, she has plans to bring it back to life. She plans to revamp the interior, focusing largely on layout adjustments and cosmetic upgrades to give it a fresh feel while staying true to the brand.
“I want to keep as much of the soul of the business the same as possible,” Krakowski said. “I love the brand. I think they’ve built such an incredible following. It has such a unique and beautiful offering in the community.”
While Krakowski does not have a precise timeline for opening as of yet since it depends on renovations, she said they are planning to reopen as soon as they can. Customers can likely expect a spring reopening.
“I’m so excited to welcome everybody back,” Krakowski said. “I’m so humbled by the response we’ve gotten from the Instagram post. The enthusiasm is just overwhelming.”
