Openings and closings: Pizza truck expands Staten Island brand, Ong to expand this summer

P*Ong and Batch

China 1 Restaurant and Lounge, at 50 Avenue B at 4th Street, has opened a basement lounge designed to look like an ancient Chinese palace. There have been signs of construction progress at Permanent Brunch in the East Village. Accessories store Diztrict has opened at 259 Bleecker Street at Cornelia Street in the West Village. Staten Island’s John John Pizzeria has opened a truck, called John-John Pizza, on Pine Street off of Broadway. Citibank will be opening soon on Madison Avenue between 79th and 80th streets. In Queens, a new store at 219-217 Hillside Avenue will join the 7-11 franchise system this Friday with a sandwich-cutting ceremony, according to a press release. In Brooklyn, Dossier, a magazine, has plans to open a Fort Greene store in April.

Other stores that have closed recently expect to reopen within a few months. Pichet Ong planned to close his restaurant, P*Ong, and his bakery, Batch, yesterday. But Eater reports that Batch’s weekend sales were good enough for the bakery to remain open longer. Ong also said he will move into a larger space in Chelsea in July or August. Danny Emerman has reopened Barocco Cafe, previously owned by his former business partner, Cristina Orosco. A fire on West 55th street has resulted in the closure of La Bonne Soupe, a French restaurant, but it plans to reopen after renovations. Chumley’s is now projected to reopen this fall. Duke’s Bar on Avenue C was reportedly shut by the Department of Health over the weekend, with no word on any reopening. TRD