COURIER LIFE, OCT. 2-8, 2020 25
OUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BOROUGH OF KINGS
BY BEN VERDE
At this cafe, everything is for sale
— even the coffee cups.
A new coffee shop that opened in
Greenwood Heights last week doubles
as an antique store, giving the collector
turned-restaurateur behind the
unconventional shop a chance to show
off antique objects he’s been collecting
since childhood.
“All of this used to be in my house,”
said Shawn Peled, who opened Yardsale
at Fifth Avenue near 17th Street.
“In my house, this is a problem, here
it’s kind of cool.”
Peled has amassed his vast collection
over years of digging at fl ea markets,
estate sales, and antique shops
across the globe — all while working
in the restaurant industry.
Now, the artifact hoarder is combining
his two passions, welcoming
patrons into the laid-back environment
of a coffee shop, while allowing
customers to browse the vestiges of
Peled’s days as a relic hunter.
“It’s just my two passions,” he said.
“It was the perfect opportunity and the
perfect space.”
Peled’s collection lines the wall of
the narrow storefront, boasting copious
amounts of antique china — including
bone china made in Japan,
railroad lamps from the early 1900s,
copper pots, historic newspapers,
framed vintage prints, WWII era mess
kits, and countless other ephemera.
And for those looking to scoop up
some interesting glassware won’t have
to look very hard, as Peled serves patrons
their orders in unique coffee and
teacups that customers can actually
buy — including collectible Normal
Rockwell mugs, which are currently
used to serve cups of Joe.
Yardsale’s menu features simple
American dishes with infl uences from
Israel — where Peled was born — such
as a “tuna” salad that is made instead
with mackerel.
“It gives a much healthier, fresher
twist,” he said. “A lot of vegetables, a
lot of color, whatever we can get at the
market.”
The collector says he wants to be a
source for high-quality home goods in
the borough, and provide an alternative
to the bargain-bin goods peddled
by big box stores.
“The idea is to try to stop buying
those Ikea glasses every time you
move,” he said. “Buy something you can
actually hold and use for many years.”
Yardsale cafe, 620 5th Ave. near 17th
Street in Greenwood Heights, yardsalebk.
com, (929) 477-0167, M-F 7 am-5
pm, Sat-Sun 9 am – 5 pm.
In with
the old!
New Greenwood
cafe doubles as
antique shop
ONE-STOP SHOP: Shawn Peled with one of
the fi rst items he collected, a sports-themed
coin bank. Everything at the shop is for sale,
including the light fi xtures.
Photos by Ben Verde