Chopt opened here in February 2016.
Sweegreen on Astor Place shuttered last summer. No one wants salad around here anymore?
Meanwhile, the adjacent storefront that housed Bluestone Lane Coffee (RIP Feb. 2025) remains vacant...
Monday, August 24, 2026
Last call for Chopt on Astor Place
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6 comments:
I have to wonder why anyone in their right mind would bother opening a retail establishment in these places. Retail, as we knew it 20 years ago, is essentially dead. The rents are stratospheric, the business concepts are redundant, and the economic demographics just don't support them.
The vacancy rate in NYC has got to be 25% at a minimum. The East Village is literally choking on empty retail spaces - both newly developed and older existing spaces. Go figure....
Any recommendations for good take-out salad places in EV?
@8;46. Good question. There is a Sweetgreen at Bowery and Third but their quality has gone way down along with the portion size. Tired of chains which are apparently the only businesses that can afford the rent these days. Bring back the mom and pops! Rental caps for small business rents. Down with predatory capitalism! Quick take out lunches should not cost nearly $20 or more.
No way that vacancy rate in NYC would ever be even close to 25%.
And all those food chains are doing very well on their bottom line.
In EV or in THE EV?
There needs to be a NYC vacancy tax on commercial storefronts like the bluestone coffee space. Someone would pay some amount to open a business there, even if it’s not what the bank would like. If the lender/landlord would rather it sit vacant until someone agrees to some fantasy amount - they should pay a monthly fee to the city for taking up the space. This is supposed to be capitalism, not welfare for banks. Let the market find the price
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