Square One eatery closes in Regent Square after 5 months

Five months after reopening on Braddock Avenue, Square One cafe is closing its Regent Square location and merging with the larger Square Cafe in East Liberty.

“It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later!” Square One wrote on its Instagram and Facebook pages. “We are joining Square Cafe in East Liberty under one roof! Find our famous biscuits and bakery items at our flagship location in East Liberty starting in October. Our last day in Regent Square is on Sunday, September 25.”

Owner Sherree Goldstein on Monday said the decision to close the store was business related.

“With the pandemic and resources changing so much, it’s just better to be in one location right now,” she said.

Goldstein said the January collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge and traffic detours it created “probably didn’t help.”

The Square Cafe, a beloved eatery on Braddock Avenue, moved to its larger space in East Liberty in August 2020, leavings its Regent Square location after 16 years. It added Square One at the Braddock Avenue location in April.

“The neighborhood has really wanted this,” Goldstein told the Tribune-Review in April when Square One opened. “We are so excited to be back to our roots in this amazing neighborhood. We decided to go back to basics, ‘square one,’ so to speak.”

At the time of its original 2020 move, Goldstein said she did not feel welcomed by the borough of Edgewood. The restaurant was located on the Edgewood portion of Braddock Avenue in Regent Square.

The issues included a dispute over outdoor seating and signs in front of the restaurant.