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East Village bar 5s gets pre-permit inspection ahead of NYC food permit

East Village bar 5s gets pre-permit inspection ahead of NYC food permit

Built World New York, NY local

The number-five-themed bar and lunch counter at 179 Avenue B has been in development since early 2025.

3 days ago: Pre-permit inspection filed

Overview

Updated 56 minutes ago

A bar called 5s has spent more than a year trying to open at 179 Avenue B in the East Village. On October 11, 2026, the NYC Department of Health filed a pre-permit inspection for the space, the inspection the city conducts before issuing a food service permit.

The process lets a food business operate from the 22nd day after it applies, permit or not, until the inspection decides. The record doesn't show whether 5s is open, cleared to serve, or still under construction.

Why it matters

If 5s gets its permit, the East Village gains a number-five-themed bar and lunch counter in a storefront that sat vacant for six years.

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Key Indicators

1
Pre-permit inspections filed
NYC Department of Health filed one pre-permit inspection for 5s on October 11, 2026.
5
Menu items per category
The concept centers on the number five: five food items, five cocktails, five draft beers, five canned beers, five wines.
6
Years the storefront sat vacant
The space at 179 Avenue B was empty for six years after Guac closed.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

February 2025 October 2026

3 events Latest: 3 days ago
  1. Pre-permit inspection filed

    Latest Regulatory

    NYC Department of Health files a pre-permit inspection for 5s ahead of a food service permit.

  2. Signage up at 179 Avenue B

    Development

    Signage appears for 5s; the owner expects to open later that summer.

  3. 5s concept reported

    Announcement

    New York Business Journal reports the bar will have five food items, five cocktails, five draft beers, five canned beers, and five wines.

Scenarios

1

5s gets its food service permit and opens

Likely Resolves by Jun 1, 2027

Discussed by: The record itself; the pre-permit inspection is the standard step before a permit is issued.

DOHMH completes the pre-permit inspection and issues a food service permit to 5s at 179 Avenue B. The bar then opens to customers, ending a development process that began in early 2025.

2

Inspection flags issues, permit delayed

Possible Resolves by Jun 1, 2027

Discussed by: Routine possibility in any pre-permit inspection; the record does not state the outcome.

The pre-permit inspection finds violations that require corrections, pushing the permit decision and any opening further out. The bar remains unopened or operates under the 22-day rule while fixes are made.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2019

Guac closes at 179 Avenue B (2019)

Guac, the previous restaurant at 179 Avenue B, closed and left the storefront empty.

Then

The space sat vacant for years.

Now

The storefront remained empty for six years until 5s took over.

Why this matters now

5s is filling a storefront that has been empty since Guac closed, part of a slow turnover on that stretch of Avenue B.

Ongoing

Lincolns, the $5-everything bar in Portland, Maine

A bar in Portland, Maine called Lincolns sells everything, beer, wine, and mixed drinks, for $5.

Then

The bar operates on a flat $5 price for all drinks.

Now

It shows the one-price bar concept can work in a smaller market.

Why this matters now

5s uses the number five as its theme, five of each menu item, rather than a flat price, but the gimmick is similar.

Sources

(3)