Nosh World’s End of An Era

By COLlive reporter

Nosh World, once the dream destination of Crown Heights children and visitors for ice cream, sweets and snacks, is ending its 25-year run this month.

The long-running Kingston Avenue shop is currently offering 50% off all items in an effort to empty the shelves and freezers before it voluntarily closes its doors.

Owner Moshe Machputz said he plans to “close down for renovation.” When asked about details of the plan or timing, he said “when I’ll open you’ll see. I don’t want to talk about plans.”

Until then, he says he will miss his customers.

“People liked coming here, especially kids,” says Machputz. “I know I’ll miss some of my clients. They liked that I remember their names and sometimes I gave a lolly or ice cream to them on the house.”

While speaking with COLlive.com, a woman walks in and shoots a question in Hebrew. “Ma, ata soger?” she asked if the rumors of the closing are true. He assures her that he is renovating and will reopen. She gives him blessings for success and livelihood.

“We will reopen,” Machputz tells us again. “It’s just that here in Crown Heights you cannot say anything because before you open, someone will come do something before you.”

He certainly knows the neighborhood’s DNA having opened the store in the ground-level and narrow space in 1987. At the time, he did well and opened Kingston Pizza across the street in February 1990 with his brother.

“A few months after I lost my brother I was in a bad mood and things didn’t go well,” he recalls. “When I got back into business, some friends convinced me that I can’t run 2 businesses at once and that I should sell.”

And that, he says, was one of the bad business decisions he has made over the years.

There was the before-it’s-time Ice Castle which closed, Kingston Pizza which was sold, his refusal to expand the space and not taking up the chance to purchase the building he is located in.

“G-d is running the world,” he reminds. “I have people who want to invest but I’d rather get a loan and do it on my own – not myself – because Hashem is with me, I’d rather Him as a partner.”