Coney Baloney

Booze Runs Dry at Ruby’s — But Hey, Coney May Get Its Popeye’s Back

Photo: Jim Kiernan

Embattled dive Ruby’s was open for the New Year’s Polar Bear Swim, but according to a Facebook update, it wasn’t business as usual: “Sorry that our landlord (NYCEDC, and Zamperla) prevented us from selling booze. Keep putting pressure on our elected officials, and Zamperla, so that we can all celebrate next new years at RUBY’S.” Actually, don’t be so quick to blame Zamperla, the amusement buffoon that recently told the Post it would rather see empty storefronts than let Ruby’s come back: A Gothamist item indicates the bar was reduced to leftover Christmas cookies because “the person who had the special permit hadn’t shown up yet,” and our look at State Liquor Authority records reveals the bar’s liquor license expired in November. So much for the whiskey-soaked protests — it looks like Ruby’s may well have served its very last drink.

In other Coney news, the owner of Shoot the Freak (which was recently illegally razed by Zamperla) is now denying an earlier report that the Coney Island Eight are looking for a buyout. But hey, it happened with Freddy’s. (That bar is poised to open at its new location in a few weeks.)

Oh, and one more thing: Amusing the Zillion hears a rumor that Popeye’s, which was booted from its location of 27 years so that its landlord, Thor, could tear down the Henderson’s building across from Nathan’s, will be making a return at a nearby location, in a two-story building to be built next to the Stillwell Terminal. The building will hold two fast-food joints as well as a sit-down spot that might have a second-floor balcony overlooking all of Phony Island.

Booze Runs Dry at Ruby’s — But Hey, Coney May Get Its Popeye’s