Cha Cha's Bar on the Boardwalk in Coney Island. June 1, 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i
Sunday afternoon’s party at Cha Cha’s with Killer Joe will be the last hurrah for the Home of Wild Women and Wise Guys on the Coney Island Boardwalk. On Tuesday, November 1st, the contents of Cha Cha’s — restaurant equipment, fixtures and memorabilia, including a quantity of neon signs– will be auctioned off. The public sale will be at the bar, located at 1229 Boardwalk near Stillwell. If you’d love to have a piece of signage or other keepsake from Cha Cha’s, be there by 2:00 pm, when the auction begins.
According to an ad for the auction in today’s New York Times, the sale includes “5 Coney Island Restaurants, Bars/Snack Bars” and contains “a tremendous quantity of memorabilia!!!!” Auctioneer Vinny Casale told ATZ that the auction’s five locations include Cha Cha’s on the Boardwalk and neighboring bars and restaurants as well as the Coney Island Souvenir Shop. “There is an upright player piano marked William Knabe & Co. from the 1920s that comes with piano rolls,” he said of the items for sale at Cha Cha’s. “There are a lot of neon signs.” Some of the other restaurants are selling off old equipment and furniture which will no longer be needed, regardless of whether they are closing or have hopes of returning to the new, rehabbed Boardwalk or another location next year.
Steve's Grill House, Coney Island Boardwalk. October 31, 2010. Photo © me-myself-i/Tricia Vita via flickr
Sources tell ATZ that Cha Cha’s, Beer Island, Gyro Corner and Coney Island Souvenir Shop were not offered new leases for the Boardwalk by Zamperla USA. Gyro has already moved signage and equipment to their Bowery location. The last we heard from “the Coney Island Rumor Mill,” Ruby’s Bar and Paul’s Daughter were in negotiations for multi-year leases and it was not a done deal. Although November 4th is the final date by which the Boardwalk businesses are required to vacate the premises, the deadline was said to have been extended through November 14 for the businesses offered leases and with whom negotiations were in progress. Steve’s Grill House, located at the corner of Stillwell Avenue, was reportedly offered the space adjacent to his restaurant, where the Tacos and Tortas stand is located. The Tacos restaurant is relocating to Neptune Avenue between Stillwell and 15th Street. They leased the store formerly occupied by Classic Heros, which closed last year.
Cha Cha’s Closing Party featuring Killer Joe and Vinny “Big Pussy” Pastore of The Sopranos starts at 3pm on Sunday, October 30. Ruby’s “Final Closing Party” begins at 12 noon. The date was changed to Sunday because of yesterday’s weather. Paul’s Daughter is expected to be open as well.
The advertisement for the November 1st auction lists the following items:
icecream, memorabilia, Coldlite C/T Ice cream machines, 3- Flavor margarita machines, Batch Freezers, Lab 100B & 500, 5- Ice machines, ! & 4 direct beer taps, Curved glass gelato cases, ! & 2 Glass dr refrigerators, 1 & 2 S/S Dr Refrigerators, Flat top grills, Hot Dog Cart, Coffee machines,& Grinders, Funnel cake cart, Chest & Upright Freezers, C/T Pizza Ovens, 4- Ice-Cream Dip Boxes, Deep Fryer & Hood Combo, 8-camera system, ADS Pass thru D/W, lg Screen TVS, Ship Chandeliers, Brass Glass Racks, Glass Sneezeguards, 10-Cash registers.
Complete Build A Bear Machine originally costing $5k with bears & stuffing, 75 neon signs, pretzel & popcorn machines, smoke machines, sheet pan racks, bar stools, 60 chairs, 15 tables, 4 glass lighted showcases, 500 Coney Island sweatshirts & t-shirts, Novelty items, So many more items too many too list. call auctioneer for more info
The sale is being held by Best Buy Auctioneers in conjunction with Vincent Casale Auctioneers.
Last year on November 1st, nine Boardwalk businesses received “surrender the premises” letters from Zamperla USA, the operator of Luna Park (“Out With the Old in Coney Island: Only 2 of 11 Boardwalk Businesses Invited Back,” ATZ, Nov 1, 2010). Eight of the businesses banded together to fight the eviction from the City-owned property on the Boardwalk leased to Zamperla. Seven won a one-year lease, which expires on November 1, 2011.
Rolling Sign: Coney Island Souvenir Shop on the Boardwalk. April 21, 2010.Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr
Related posts on ATZ…
November 1, 2011: Live from Coney Island! Wanna Buy a Chair from Ruby’s Bar?
October 12, 2011: Photo of the Day: Last Drink at Cha Cha’s of Coney Island
October 9, 2011: Photo of the Day: Ruby’s Old Tyme Bar by Kenny Lombardi
October 8, 2011: Photo of the Day: “The Chief” of the Coney Island Boardwalk
Amusing the Zillion 
Really excellent reporting. I for one appreciate it. Now we have read in the WSJ that Nathans is expanding. Do they move into the adjacent spot where Cha Cha’s is? Is the Stillwell Souvenier Beach Shop moving to the Boardwalk? What is replacing Gyro Corner and Steve’s Grill House and will everything be required to be year round whether staying or going? Thanks!
I know you may not have all the answers yet but I appreciate the reporting tremendously. I have very high hopes of the Boardwalk going year. I have confidence in the CIDC.
This is the beginning of the end of anything unique in Coney Island. This saddens me to no end. I only hope that Paul’s Daughter and Ruby’s get those multi-year leases and are allowed to retain at least some of their character and genuine-ness. I know Zamperla/CAI needs to make things look nice for their working showroom, but their “vision of Coney Island” has nothing to do with Coney Island. It’s plastic and boring.
I think I got a picture of the water slide from 1938_1943 I’m not to sure…it’s a water slide and it says Chute but I don’t know if Coney island the water park where this picture was taken i wish I could post a photo