Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times An earlier bomb scare at Eighth Avenue and 45th Street prompted a brief evacuation before 9 a.m. Friday.
They found a gray shirt, white tube socks, a toothbrush and pens.
The police deemed the bag not suspicious and left the scene before 11 a.m.
It was at least the seventh suspicious package brought to the attention of the police since the car bomb attempt on Saturday.
Mr. Elbaz, an immigrant from Egypt who lives in Jackson Heights, Queens, said he was relieved. It was only his second day running his Little Cupcake Lover cart. He sells coffee, bagels, croissants and other pastries in the morning before the red velvet, Oreo, Nutella mint and ocean-sprinkled cupcakes arrive.
He said the owners of the Chicken Bar, a lunch operation behind where he works, had given him a difficult time so far, but joked that not even a suspicious bag could have thwarted his business.
“Anything crazy can happen in New York,” Mr. Elbaz said as he dealt with a customer.
Robert Caplin for The New York Times Friday afternoon’s bomb scare shut down the north end of Times Square for about 90 minutes.