Buchette del Vino files pre-permit health inspection in Times Square

Overview

Updated Oct 10

Health inspectors closed Buchette del Vino, the Florentine wine window in Times Square, on October 7, 2026. A pre-permit inspection found two critical violations: an inadequate water supply and an improper sewage disposal system.

The closure ends a period when the business could serve customers under a city rule that lets food businesses operate from the 22nd day after applying for a permit. The restaurant must fix the violations and pass a re-inspection before it can reopen.

Why it matters

NYC lets restaurants serve customers for weeks before inspectors rule — this inspection decides whether Buchette del Vino's permit is approved.

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Key Indicators

190

Inspection score

Health department assigned 190 points, leading to closure.

Critical violations

Water supply and sewage disposal issues.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Jack Logue

Chef and co-creator, Buchette del Vino NYC

Co-leads The Lambs Club at the Chatwal Hotel

Chris Miller

Co-creator, Buchette del Vino NYC

Co-leads The Lambs Club at the Chatwal Hotel

Tom Harris

President, Times Square Alliance

Leads the business improvement district for Times Square

Organizations Involved

Buchette del Vino NYC

Restaurant

Closed by health department until violations corrected

A walk-up wine window in the Times Square pedestrian plaza, inspired by Florence's historic buchette del vino.

The Lambs Club

Restaurant

Led by Jack Logue and Chris Miller

Modern American restaurant in the Chatwal Hotel, located in Stanford White's 1905 building in Midtown Manhattan.

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

City Health Agency

Conducts restaurant inspections and issues permits; closed Buchette del Vino on Oct 7

The city agency that conducts unannounced sanitary inspections of NYC restaurants and issues food service permits.

Times Square Alliance

Business Improvement District

Manages the pedestrian plaza where Buchette del Vino operates

The business improvement district for Times Square, which manages the pedestrian plaza on Broadway.

Timeline

May 2025 October 2026

4 events Latest: October 7th, 2026 · 1 month ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2026
Pre-permit inspection filed
Latest Regulatory

NYC Department of Health files a pre-permit inspection for Buchette del Vino at 132 West 44 Street.
October 7th, 2026
Closed by Health Department
Regulatory

NYC health inspectors ordered Buchette del Vino closed after finding 2 critical violations (water supply and sewage disposal). Score: 190.
October 7th, 2026
June 2025
Buchette del Vino opens
Opening

The wine window opens on the pedestrian plaza between 43rd and 44th Streets, serving Italian wines, panini, and espresso.
June 2025
May 2025
Buchette del Vino announced for Times Square
Announcement

The Lambs Club team unveils a Florentine wine window concept opening in June on the Broadway pedestrian plaza.
May 29th, 2025

Scenarios

Buchette del Vino receives food service permit

Likely Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: NYC Department of Health records

The pre-permit inspection clears the way for the city to issue a food service permit. The business, already operating under the 22-day rule, continues serving customers with its permit in hand.

Inspection flags violations, permit delayed

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: NYC health inspection process

The inspection finds violations requiring correction and a re-inspection before the permit is issued. The business may continue operating under the 22-day rule while corrections are made.

Permit application stalls or lapses

Unlikely Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: NYC permitting process

The application does not progress to a permit within the expected window, leaving the business operating under the 22-day rule indefinitely or closing the application.

Buchette del Vino reopens after fixes

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: NYC health inspection process

The business corrects the water and sewage violations and passes a re-inspection, allowing it to resume serving customers and eventually obtain its food service permit.

Historical Context

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

1600s

Florentine Wine Windows (1600s)

Florentine wine merchants carved small windows into the walls of homes and palaces to serve wine to passersby. More than 150 remain visible across Florence today.

Then

The windows became a fixture of Florentine street life.

Now

They survive as a cultural touchstone, popularized globally by Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy.

Why this matters now

Buchette del Vino NYC is named after and architecturally inspired by these windows.

2021