Community

Toby’s Public House Once Again Denied by Community Board 2

The original Toby's in Brooklyn.
The original Toby’s in Brooklyn. Photo: Patrick Siggins

Community Board 2’s SLA committee last night swiftly and unanimously denied an application by the Nolita offshoot of Toby’s Public House for an alteration to serve wine and beer at its sidewalk café. Neighborhood activist Georgette Fleischer characterized Toby’s as a “loud sports bar” and produced photographs of its interior, comparing it to a “commercial for Budweiser.” Toby’s owner Christine Iu flatly denied that her restaurant is a sports bar, even noting that it served neighbors free pizzas and gave use of their phone lines after Hurricane Sandy, but to no avail. Toby’s had a hard time getting approval for beer and wine earlier this year and was even NIMBY-paint-bombed before it opened. In March, Iu, who lives one block away from the restaurant, told Grub Street she had been harassed by locals who questioned her motives for opening in the neighborhood. [Earlier]

Toby’s Public House Once Again Denied by Community Board 2