Monday, October 18, 2021

A speakeasy and restaurant concept slated for 221 2nd Ave.

A group of hospitality veterans is looking to open a two-concept establishment at 221 Second Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. (Thanks to Steven for the photo last week.)

Reps for Best Speakeasy NYC will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee tonight to discuss their speakeasy, Sincerely, Ophelia, and restaurant, Chicken & the Egg, for the space. 

According to the questionnaire posted on the CB3 website (PDF here), the space will feature 11 tables for 44 guests and a 10-seat bar. Proposed hours for the restaurant are noon to 4 a.m., with the bar serving from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The questionnaire includes this sample menu (click on the image for more details)...
Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. You can join via Zoom here.

The previous tenant at 221 Second Ave., the 11-year-old Bay-Area sports bar Finnerty's, never reopened after the PAUSE of March 2020.

26 comments:

  1. 9 dollar drafts? Everything being done to price out the working people of this neighborhood.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ever consider the cost of beers is a response to the cost of doing business as opposed to some nefarious class warfare by bar owners?

      Delete
    2. THANK YOU! These people literally have no idea how much a keg of beer or beer gas has gone up. Yeah you paid $5 for your pint in 2005 when a keg was $60. Well that same keg is $130 now. You should be thankful you’re not paying $10. Or let’s not forget the small fact that hourly wage for tipped employees doubled in less than 5 years or that there’s a major shortage of workers right now so everyone has had to raise wages to attract staff. But, yeah sure- just greedy bar owners looking to push poor people out of neighborhoods. This story is getting exhausting.

      Delete
    3. THANK YOU! These people literally have no idea how much a keg of beer or beer gas has gone up. Yeah you paid $5 for your pint in 2005 when a keg was $60. Well that same keg is $130 now. You should be thankful you’re not paying $10. Or let’s not forget the small fact that hourly wage for tipped employees doubled in less than 5 years or that there’s a major shortage of workers right now so everyone has had to raise wages to attract staff. But, yeah sure- just greedy bar owners looking to push poor people out of neighborhoods. This story is getting exhausting.

      Delete
    4. There’s 124 pints in a keg. So yes, customers are still getting ripped off.

      Delete
    5. The average cost to the house for a a draft beer is between.58 and .90 cent per pint depending on the brand!!! A $9 pint is pricey!!

      Delete
  2. Because it's so hard to find a bar full of noisy drunks on 2nd Ave below 14th. So we really need another one. /s

    ReplyDelete
  3. A moratorium needs to be placed on the term "speakeasy." It was only relevant during prohibition and, perhaps, unfortunately during that pandemic period when bars were supposed to be closed. Only newbie rubes think speakeasies are some kind of "cool" concept.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Look at the price $12 for a sandwich with no sides,$8 for fries. $20 for a meal $28 if you want a drink. No working class person in the EV will pay that price.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous 8:39..I should be 'thankful' for not getting ripped off more? What ARROGANCE. You should be 'thankful' if the neighborhood agrees to getting ripped off by your establishment and patronizes you at all.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm always reassured when the alcohol menu is larger than the food menu. Yep.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm thankful there are more affordable places to eat in the neighborhood.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Seems like it’s rivals Jackdaw a bit. Going to be one crowded block. But I’m fine with it. I’m fine with people living their lives the way they wish to and not have cranky old people throwing a fit anytime a new restaurant that serves opens up. Shhh people shhh! No noise or fun allowed!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Another place not to bother patronizing. These prices are for the bro's, not the locals.

    PS: @7:48am: No, I don't consider it. Bar owners are making bank like crazy in this area & all over NYC. I shed no tears for their bank accounts. If it's such a money-losing business, why are they still in it?

    ReplyDelete
  10. @ 8:43 you must be a bar owner, sure sounds like it

    ReplyDelete
  11. Plenty of cheap drink places in the E.V. Calm down grumps!

    ReplyDelete
  12. @12:23pm: Agree with you; that is the kind of non-justification a bar owner would offer. I'm not buying the argument, and I'm not buying anything there at those prices, either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trust me, they’ll be perfectly fine without your business.

      Delete
  13. The number of people that love to bitch in these comments with totally disregard for economics or logic is incredible. Bars have significantly more costs beyond the cost of keg and that is why there are always bars coming and going as evidenced by this exact location!

    ReplyDelete
  14. @2:55pm: If there are so many significant other costs, and bars are always coming & going, that would indicate some of these owners are not very good at running this type of business!

    Yet they're all still *in* that business, so my question is: why? Why make all that effort if you're really not making good money?

    But we're not short on bars in this area, are we?

    Either they're making $$$ or they're not. If it's such a money-losing proposition, they'd go into some other line of work. The fact that they're applying for a liquor license tells me they expect to do perfectly well in that location.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Man can we ever get past the calling everyone who's got a reason for not wanting a loud drinking establishment on their block or disturbing noises blasting at them grumps or old calling people names is the first tell that your point of view is selfish and without thought for the greater good

    Great Point 7:50 AM so making it again it's not a speakeasy unless your planning on serving after the time the SlA permits you too so enough with that baloney

    have zero problem with prices that's up to the business owners to set and i'm sure there's reasons for prices being what they are hopefully they pay really well and have health plan for workers

    Another 4AM close um no,

    We need to pressure/ask/plead/beg our Community Board to Please stop the proliferation of establishments that are not in the best interest of those who live close by

    too many of these gimmicky places are owned by people who once licenced hide behind corporate names and too many of them do not live in the area or even the city it's BS

    ReplyDelete
  16. My spouse's comment on hearing about $9 draft beers & $16 cocktails was: "We'll get a high class of drunk over there".

    ReplyDelete
  17. @7:29pm: I wish there were a way to force the CB3 SLA members to live directly above these places & have no peace or quiet until 4am night after night. That might (just might) make them think twice about what they're doing to this area.

    PS: To the young fart @10:40AM who's complaining about old people: remember your words well for the day when YOU are the old fart; I hope all the young people of that time laugh right in your face.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I wonder why established bar owners aren't troubled by the excessive number of liquor licenses. Certainly it diminishes the worth of their liquor licenses and makes it more difficult for them to survive.

    ReplyDelete
  19. To the entitled "youth" complaining about the "grumps." This is a residential neighborhood, or was, not an entertainment zone like Times Square. Here is a 15 year old NY Times article on the over saturation of liquor licenses in 2006, before the neighborhood was completely taken over by "luxury" developers and their spawn, I mean clientele. It is much worse now, with a more obnoxious clientele, and the dining shacks have added to it. Obviously you do not live on a block with 8 or so bar/restaurants or perhaps you own one. May it happen to you. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/01/dining/limits-on-liquor-licenses-pinch-restaurant-owners.html

    ReplyDelete
  20. anon at 8:43 AM. $130 a keg, 124 pints in keg, draft at $9 each, 124 pints at $9 each = $1116 earned per keg. Yeah, "lucky it isn't $10 a draft." You are "lucky" to get that kind of price.
    Even if your drafts were a true 16 oz. pint which I doubt, that would be 105 pints a keg, at $9 each, $945 earned per keg. Impressive markup either way. Righteous, price gouging, late stage, predatory capitalism at its finest.

    ReplyDelete

Your remarks and lively debates are welcome, whether supportive or critical of the views herein. Your articulate, well-informed remarks that are relevant to an article are welcome.

However, commentary that is intended to "flame" or attack, that contains violence, racist comments and potential libel will not be published. Facts are helpful.

If you'd like to make personal attacks and libelous claims against people and businesses, then you may do so on your own social media accounts. Also, comments predicting when a new business will close ("I give it six weeks") will not be approved.