[
EVG photo from July]
Higher rents
forced longtime tenant Gabay's Outlet to leave First Avenue for a new home at 195 Avenue A earlier this summer.
Work permits at the old storefront at 225 First Ave. between East 13th Street and East 14th Street reveal the new tenant — a
Checkers.
In April 2013,
Crain's reported that the fast-food chain was going to add another 22 restaurants in NYC by 2015.
A Checkers opened in Tribeca in 2009. There's also a location in Hamilton Heights.
Here's the official Checkers story via the company
website:
Checkers & Rally's restaurants were born out of the idea that a bland and flavorless burger was downright bad and that Americans everywhere deserved a better tasting burger — one that was unexpectedly bold, made-to-order and priced at a value that was hard to beat. Founded by experienced foodies with a renegade spirit, both the Checkers & Rally's unique double drive-thru concept, with its over-the-top checkerboard squares, chrome styling, red neon signs and of course the food, was an instant hit. These two new burger experiences were hot, fresh and served with a smile. People were hooked, and the world of cookie cutter corporate burger establishments was about to change.
Arlene Spiegel, a restaurant consultant, said this to
Crain's about Checkers:
"I see them filling the space between quick-service-restaurants like McDonald's and gourmet burger concepts," said Ms. Spiegel. But she cautioned that it may be difficult for a suburban drive-thru concept to adapt to an urban market.
Previously on EV Grieve:
After 45 years on 1st Avenue, Gabay's Outlet is on the move
