Old Zips space reveals....

Well, now. Finally some action at the former Zips location on Avenue B and Fifth Street... Work was going on inside for months... The neighborhood rumor was the space would become an upscale diner-type place....




Not so fast. As this photo from reader Empire shows...



As Empire notes, "Check out what has now been revealed from under the awning.. where it says 'Medical Office'?! Is that from BEFORE Zips? Hmmmmmm...."

Indeed! I double the Hmmmmmm...

Zips is now Caffe Buon Gusto

Many thanks to reader Empire for passing along a photo of the long-awaited debut of the former Zips space on Avenue B and Fifth Street:




More details as they become available. Previous Zips coverage on EV Grieve.

Construction worker confirmation: Italian restaurant coming to the former Zips space

The neighborhood rumor was the former Zips space at Fifth Street and Avenue B would become an upscale diner-type place.... Well, according to a construction worker entering the storefront, the space will be..."an Italian restaurant."

Hmmm, well, is there room for another Italian restaurant in the neighborhood? The spot is right next door to Lavagna. Max is down the street. Il Bagatto is on Second Street just west of B. Supper is on Second Street... Perbacco is on Fourth Street near B....Cannonau is also on Fourth Street ... Uh, you get the idea.

Previous Zips coverage here.

A new door at Zips

And now a mysterious new door has been added to the side of the former Zips Deli space at Avenue B and Fifth Street. Possibly a door to enter and exit the kitchen for an upscale diner-type place...?



Previous Zips coverage on EV Grieve.

Unzipping the mystery at Zips (trying to, anyway)

There's no shortage of chitchat among a few neighbors [that I happen to know] of the former Zips Deli on Avenue B at Fifth Street. Rumors abound that this space will become an upscale diner-type place, though I never report on unconfirmed facts, unsubstantiated rumors or other un-words. Oh, oops. Anyway! Something is happening here...



Yesterday, a worker was removing the graffiti from the front doors.



And there has been plenty of hammering and nailing kind of thing happening behind the brown-papered doors. An EV Grieve tipster who caught a look inside said the interior is shaping up to look like an upscale diner-type place, though you likely already knew that by now.




The EV Grieve tipster frets that what goes in this spot could have a negative impact on the neighborhood...if it's something obnoxious that attracts the let's-be-loud-and-pee/barf-in-the-streets-real-late-and-yell-for-a-cab crowd from outside the neighborhood. The people who are already going to a few places just south of here on Avenue B.

Related:
Check out this shot of Zips on Flickr...

Your daily Zips update

Yesterday, a fellow was tearing up the entryway at the former Zips space on Avenue B and and Fifth Street...

As it once looked...



I saw a pack of kids standing in the doorway last night...What were the kids doing?After the group moved on, I went to investigate... Ah!

The makeover at Zips continues: Now the graffiti is gone

As I noted last Friday, the former Zips Deli on Avenue B at Fifth Street is getting a makeover



The hot rumor — which means it's wrong — is an upscale diner-type place. (As long as it's not another cafe-bakery-small-plates-type place. Or a bar. Or yogurt. Or...)

Anyway, while on the way home from work, I noticed the paint job...and removal of the graffiti...





This will not make the Graffiti Friend of EV Grieve very happy.

Meanwhile, the work permit made an appearance the past week.

Working sort of zipping along at the old Zips space

And as of Friday evening, a new paint job for what is expected to be an upscale diner-type place at Avenue B and Fifth Street...



And is black and blue the best color scheme for a new restaurant in this economy?

Previous Zips coverage here.

Breaking: Interior of Caffe Buon Gusto revealed!

This corner on Avenue B and Fifth Street has sat dormant for 9 years after Zips moved out ... EV Grieve reader Dave on 7th just caught this glimpse inside the longtime-in-the-works Caffe Buon Gusto ... And check out the napkin fold...

City's third Caffe Buon Gusto coming to Avenue B

As we noted yesterday (and thanks to reader Empire), the former Zips space on Avenue B and Fifth Street will be Caffe Buon Gusto...



Apparently there are two other locations in Manhattan -- one on 236 E. 77th St. and one at 1004 Second Ave. I'm not familiar with these places. The Caffe's Italian fare on one site gets pretty positive remarks, except from the last person who left a review. "The 'bruschetta' was served on toasted wonder bread!"

Anyway, to repeat what I wrote earlier....is there really a need for another Italian restaurant in the neighborhood?

Picture this: an art gallery for 5th and B

Top 2 photos by Stacie Joy

Renovations continue inside and out on the NW corner of Fifth Street and Avenue B... where an art gallery called Gratin is in the works for the space... 

We don't know anything else at the moment about what to expect here from the new gallery... which marks the second art space to open along this corridor after Half Gallery debuted in 2020 on the NW corner of Fourth Street and Avenue B.

The arrival will likely make at least one upstairs resident happy... back when the storefront was on the market in the spring... 

... there was a sign in the window reading: "No Cafe. No Food."

Oda House, which served the rare-for-Manhattan Georgian cuisine and other Mediterranean staples, closed here in August 2020 after seven-plus years in service. Caffe Buon Gusto was here for a bit after the corner market Zips.  

Of the 147 storefronts on Avenue A, 70 of them are bars, restaurants or vacant

Yeah, that got my attention the other night during the Community Board 3 meeting. Between November 2009 and May, CB3 Urban Fellow Paulo H. Lellis conducted retail research "to examine the concerns of business operators in Community Board 3 and obtain information on the diversity of business in the area."

Lellis gave a quick overview of the fairly massive report on Tuesday night. (We'll get to more on Avenue A in a minute...)

A few quick items about ground-floor retail in the CB3 area (from 2009):

Average monthly rent: $8,097.90
Average square footage of retail space: 1,464
Average annual rent per square foot: $77

I know what you're thinking: "Gee, Grieve, this is super, but how does it compare with, say, Harlem, the Meatpacking District or the Financial District?"

Glad you asked!

Average annual rent per square foot in Harlem: $75-$200
Average annual rent per square foot in MePa (sorry!): $400-$450
Average annual rent per square foot in FiDi (sorry!): $100-$400

A few more facts:

As of 2009, there are 151 chain stores in the 10003 zip code -- the third-most number of chain stores in 30 NYC zips... (The East Village Community Coalition examined formula zoning in 2008... see that report here.)

Oh, I could go on with stats. But you can find all these reports yourself at the CB3 site.

First, though, here's an overview of what Lellis was looking to find...

The research consisted of a survey of business owners/managers on 9th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues which sought to prioritize business concerns. Two retail use surveys were also carried out in order to provide information on the types of businesses located on Avenue A and 9th Street. Additionally, a shift-share analysis was conducted to determine the change in the growth of local retail and accommodation & food service establishments relative to Manhattan and New York City between the years 2002 and 2007. The fellow also examined CB3 commercial retail rents relative to other neighborhoods.

The fellow’s research revealed that taxes were reported to be the primary concern for business owners/managers and utilities were the second largest concern. Additionally, the research revealed that retail did not experience the same favorable growth as the accommodation & food services sector in Community Board 3 despite being relatively better off than Manhattan and New York City in terms growth of establishments. Lastly, the surveys provided a basis from which to continue to examine the issues of retail diversity and rents in the community.

I'm particularly interested in his findings on Avenue A, something which I did rather informally earlier this year.

Here's what he found...



Basically, there are 51 bars, restaurants and lounges on Avenue A, which accounts for 35 percent of the storefronts... then... there are 19 vacant storefronts, which account for 13 percent of the storefronts... then... there are 15 delis and groceries, 10 percent of the total storefronts. (There are 147 storefronts in total...)



By the way, he also examined Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... perhaps I'll highlight that report another day...

So what does all this mean?

Based on his results, the following options for consideration and suggested areas for further inquiry are presented to the CB3 Economic Development Committee:

1. Inform local businesses about existing services available to help them negotiate leases with favorable provisions on taxes
2. Encourage "on-bill financing" of energy efficiency improvements for businesses as a means to achieve cost savings
3. Incorporate research on retail diversity and options to address the issue, like formula zoning, as an ongoing project for future community board fellows
4. Continue to explore the issue of retail rents in the neighborhood and possible ways to address this concern through programs such as tax abatements

Anyway, there are reports galore at the CB3 website. In the short term, well, I think I'll go to Ray's for a hot dog...

A new store is opening that people may actually be able to afford

Too often I expect the worst when I see empty storefronts, as if the new tenant will be -- all together now -- the ever-popular bank brank or Fro-Yo shoppe or Duane Reade or ramen noodle house or... (And why wouldn't I feel this way?)

Anyway! To some relief, I suppose, here's what's coming to 23 Avenue B near Second Street:



(Look how they're already putting the fear into potential shoplifters!)

By the way, I counted 10 empty storefronts/restaurants on Avenue B between Second Street and Fifth Street, the site of the former Zips deli. Add that with the six or seven I counted on Avenue B between 12th Street and 14th Street a few weeks back and, well, that's a lot of empty storefronts/restaurants. Maybe landlords should stop hiking rents. Has the CB3 has effectively put an end to new bars/restaurants in the vacant spaces? Is Avenue B over as a destination spot? (Ha. I know, I know.)

Related:
Perbacco Tries to Move into Carne Vale Space (Eater)

Avenue B dragnet targets clubs, cabs, rowdy drinkers (The Villager)

East Villagers say nightlife scene is a nightmare (The Villager)

Former Save the Robots Space Is for Sale (Grub Street)