EV Grieve

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Noted

Pre-bomb cyclone headgear spotted on Seventh Street and First Avenue today by Derek Berg...

Caviarteria Beluga Bar looking to bring fine fish eggs and champagne to 9th Street

[Photo by Steven]

Caviarteria, which started as a Midtown retail and mail-order outlet for caviar and smoked salmon in 1952, is looking to open a restaurant-retail operation at 234 E. Ninth St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Walter Drobenko, a lawyer who took over the brand in 2006, is on January's CB3-SLA docket for a liquor license for the address. He previously ran a similar-sounding operating — the Caviarteria Beluga Bar — in Tribeca from 2013-2016. (You can read more about that here.)

According to the paperwork on file at the CB3 website (PDF here), this Caviarteria would have about 20 tables to accommodate up to 50 guests. The proposed hours are 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 2 a.m. on Sunday. The questionnaire also mentions that the space would include "private events and catering events."

The menu would include caviar, smoked salmon, foie gras, blinis, etc. Here's the sample menu filed with the CB3 paperwork...

The address, currently a storage and parking space per the CB3 materials, would need an extensive build out to house the Caviarteria Beluga Bar. Drobenko, who grew up on the Lower East Side, is also a principal in the Cloister Cafe next door.

The Caviarteria name has a lot of history. In the late 1990s, the previous owners went on an expansion kick, opening Caviarterias in Las Vegas and Florida as well as in the SoHo Grand Hotel and Grand Central Terminal. (This story in the Times from 2003 has more on the family tragedy and feud that nearly destroyed the brand.) The business continues as an online mail-order operation.

This item will be heard during CB3's SLA committee meeting next Monday night (Jan. 8) at the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton. The meeting starts at 6:30.

Pinky's Space now open on 1st Street

Pinky's Space is now up and running at 70 E. First St. just west of First Avenue.

Pinky's is serving a variety of quick-serve sandwiches on biscuits... as you can see from the menu on Pinky's website...

The to-go restaurant's Instagram account describes this as "French Southern fine dining cuisine out of the box and out of this world."

As previously noted, the Pinky's team is Wesley Wobles, a personal chef and cookbook author, and Mimi Blitz, who spent nearly two decades working for her mother's catering company and bakery in New Orleans.

A post shared by Cherry Velvet (@pinkysspace) on Jan 1, 2018 at 1:22pm PST

Previously on EV Grieve:
Pinky's Space bringing quick-serve food options to 1st Street

Here's your Vape N Smoke signage on 2nd Avenue

Back in late November, we noted that a business called Vape N Smoke was opening at 150 Second Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street... and yesterday, workers put up the Vape N Smoke signage, as EVG Vape Signage Correspondent Steven noted...

Presumably they will be selling vaporizers, electronic cigarettes and other smoking products.

The previous tenant here, Village Eyecare, merged with Eyes on Second at 170 Second Ave.

A new tenant for 117 1st Ave.

[Photo by Steven]

Someone has removed the for rent sign from the front window at 117 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

The space, previously home to Village Kids Footwear, was seeking $8,995, per the listing at Steve Croman's 9300 Realty...

Not sure yet who the tenant will be... If you had to bet based on current neighborhood retail trends, then something involving desserts or noodles or vape-beer-cigars would be a safe wager.

Meanwhile, directly across the Avenue, a for rent sign hangs in the former International Bar window ...

The sign has been up for nearly five weeks, though there isn't an online listing for the space just yet...

The International closed on Nov. 22, and merged with its sister bar the Coat Yard at Sixth Street...

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Tuesday's parting shot

New work went up today on the plywood outside the Chinese Hawaiian Kenpo Academy on Second Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place... via @reneexors (left) and @floodclub ... photo by Derek Berg

Boarding up Mamani Pizza on Avenue A

This afternoon, workers started boarding up the entrance to the former Mamani Pizza space on Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

This isn't terribly significant ... though a reader told me that people have been squatting inside the space in recent weeks...

There was a gap in the rolldown gate where the ATM used to be... which apparently provided passage (the gap, not the ATM) to the rear of the former pizzeria ...

The Marshal seized the 99-cent sliceria back in June. There haven't been any for rent signs on the storefront since then.

No. 151 is owned by Raj 151 Avenue A LL and managed by Marolda Properties, per public records.

Building that housed Lucky Cheng's on 1st Avenue now on the auction block

After failing to attract a buyer in recent years, the potential development sites at 24 First Ave. (the onetime home of Lucky Cheng's) and 99-101 E. Second St. will be put up for auction later this month...

The auction is Jan. 24 at 1 p.m. Here are a few details about that from the auction site:

Terms & Conditions of Sale: Property will be sold free and clear of all monetary liens. In order to register to bid, all prospective bidders must present a cashier’s check in the amount of $1,000,000 made payable to “____________________”. Within 48 hours following the auction, Successful Bidder must post a deposit in the total amount of 14% of the high bid.

Landlord Carmar Development, LLC, had put the two-building parcel up for sale in February 2017. (We wrote about that here.) The L-shaped properties were seeking $26 million then.

As for what a new landlord might be able to do here, we'll go back to the auction site:

Currently Improved with a 7,748 Sq Ft Mixed-Use Building & 4,648 Sq Ft Retail Building
Substantial Unused Air Rights
• 28,540 Sq Ft Buildable Site (3,418 Sq Ft Cellar) – Per Architect Plans, with Inclusionary Housing
• 26,483 Sq Ft Buildable Site (5,297 Sq Ft Cellar) – Per Architect Plans, without Inclusionary Housing & with Full Lot Merge
• 24,610 Sq Ft Buildable Site (5,298 Sq Ft Cellar) – Per Architect Plans, without Inclusionary Housing

Annual Real Estate Taxes: $141,977
Currently Vacant

Hayne Suthon, who owned and and operated Lucky Cheng's, the cross-dressing cabaret, also lived in the building. She died of cancer at age 57 in June 2014.

Suthon had owned the properties since 1986, paying $800,000, city documents show. According to public records, the address changed hands to Carmar Development in February 2015 for a little more than $9.6 million.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Myron Mixon's Pride & Joy BBQ now in the works for the former Lucky Cheng's space

Fire reported at incoming Pride and Joy BBQ on East Second Street

Myron Mixon lawsuit puts opening of Pride and Joy BBQ in question at former Lucky Cheng's space

More alterations for the Pride and Joy space

Report: Pride and Joy BBQ partners suing landlord Hayne Suthon for $22 million

Report: New owners of building that housed Lucky Cheng's looking to attract restaurant group

Onetime home of Lucky Cheng's and adjacent property on the development market for $26 million

Last call at the Grassroots Tavern

The Grassroots Tavern closed in the early morning hours on Jan. 1, ending a 42-year run at 20 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

[Top 2 photos Sunday night by Peter Brownscombe]

EVG Facebook friend Jil Derryberry shared these photos from Sunday night...

Despite its appearance, the popcorn machine was not as old as the bar... I'd been there several times in past years when a new machine arrived on the scene...

And the mystery cabinet behind the bar... I always wanted to rifle through the shelves and discover some old menus and bills ... I only ever saw John Leeper go in there looking for aspirin...

As previously reported, the new owner of the bar is Richard Precious, who operates the mini chain of Irish-style pubs called The Ginger Man (including the one on 36th Street).

Someone in the women's room made some suggestions for Precious...

No word on when the new venture might open here. They'll likely be making modifications in this landmarked building, and to date, there aren't any work permits on file with the city.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An end of an era at the Grassroots Tavern

RIP John Leeper

RIP Bob Spedalere

20 St. Mark's Place, home of the Grassroots Tavern, has been sold

Your chance to live in this historic home above the Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place

New owner lined up for the Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place

After 42 years on St. Mark's Place, the Grassroots Tavern closes on New Year's Eve

The state of national retailers in NYC; Dunkin’ Donuts tops the list again

The Center for an Urban Future released its 10th annual State of the Chains report in late December... here are some cut-n-paste highlights ... (the full report is here)...

The tenth annual ranking of national retailers in New York City ... shows a 1.8 percent increase in the number of store locations over last year. Though this is the ninth consecutive year with a net increase in national chain stores across the five boroughs, the growth was limited to a relatively small number of retailers.

In a year in which the challenges facing brick-and-mortar retail have burst into view, this report finds that New York’s national chains are not immune to the pressure. Although food establishments continue to show strong growth, retailers that compete most directly with online outlets — such as shoe and electronics stores — have experienced significant contractions.

Overall, a fifth of all national retailers in the city closed stores in the past year, and only one-in-seven retailers on our list increased their footprint — the smallest share since we began keeping track a decade ago.

For the ninth consecutive year, Dunkin’ Donuts tops our list as the largest national retailer in New York City, with a total of 612 stores, a net increase of 16 stores since 2016 — and 271 since 2008. But this year there is a new retailer in the second position on our list: MetroPCS now has 445 stores in the five boroughs, adding 119 locations over the past year and surpassing Subway, which is now third, with 433 stores.

Fast-casual dining chain restaurants in the five boroughs increased 105 percent over the past decade, from 141 to 289, while the number of fast-food restaurant chains grew 14 percent, from 1,107 to 1,261.2 And there are now 952 chain coffee shops in New York, 65 percent more than a decade ago, led by Dunkin’ Donuts. Food-related chains are responsible for 41 percent of the growth in national retailer locations in New York over the past ten years, the most of any category.

And...

In reviewing the past decade for New York’s national retailers, one thing is clear: the growth of restaurants and food retailers is leading the charge.

The number of coffee chains expanded 65 percent since our first chains report was published in 2008, powered by the expansion of Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, as well as local chains like Joe Coffee. During this ten-year period, chain coffee shops added 621 locations, more than any other category. Dunkin’ Donuts alone grew 79 percent.

The number of fast-casual dining chain restaurants in the five boroughs has more than doubled in the past decade, from 141 to 289. The growth of fast-casual chains like Chipotle and Chop’t is in addition to the growth in fast-food restaurants.

The number of chain bakeries — such as Le Pain Quotidien and Panera Bread — has more than tripled over the past decade, from 55 to 161. This is in addition to the growth in fast-casual chains.

Chains that specialize in frozen yogurt, such as Red Mango and 16 Handles, have expanded 283 percent — the largest growth rate of any retailer category. In 2008, there were 12 chain yogurt stores, and today there are 46. However, the city seems to have reached peak yogurt in 2014, with 57 chain yogurt locations.

[A]fter years of growth, chain pharmacies have begun to contract. Chain pharmacies, which include Duane Reade/Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS, lost 53 locations since last year and now have a total of 588 locations. This number is just 1 percent above the number of chain pharmacy locations in 2008. This is largely because Duane Reade/Walgreens has been consolidating locations since its 2010 merger and is closing 600 locations nationwide in preparation for a major acquisition of stores from Rite Aid.

Starbucks has more stores in Manhattan than any other national retailer, with 223 locations.

You can find the 2016 report here ... and 2015 ... 2014 ... 2013...

Speaking of Dunkin' Donuts, the one at 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B will no longer be open 24/7, per the door signage...

Frisson Espresso opens today on 3rd Avenue

[Photo from Sunday]

Today's the opening day for the coffee shop on the west side of Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

Here's an interior shot via Facebook...

This is the second NYC location for Frisson Espresso, whose first outpost debuted on West 47th Street in December 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Frisson Espresso coming to 3rd Avenue

Former Pourt space for lease on Cooper Square

Pourt, the cafe-work space at 35 Cooper Square, closed at the end of November after 11 months in business.

The for lease sign is now up in the window here in the base of the Marymount Manhattan College dormitory at Sixth Street. ... though the listing isn't online just yet at the RKF website.

The eventual new tenant will have a dessert shop as a neighbor. Meet Fresh, a Taiwan-based chain, will be opening soon next door.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Pourt has closed on Cooper Square

Meet Fresh bringing teas and taro balls to Cooper Square

Holiday week recap

[Sledding in Tompkins Square Park Saturday via Derek Berg]

A few stories from last week...

• Out and About in the East Village 2017 recap and news about 2018 (Wednesday)

• Report: 9th Street resident battling with Kushner Cos. to clean up black mold infestation (Thursday)

• Pizza Rollio bringing its skinny slices to 9th Street (Tuesday)

• Residential conversion underway at 180 2nd Ave.; the Ninth Ward expected to return (Thursday)

• Neapolitan Express pulling into 29 2nd Ave. (Wednesday)

• The opossum of Tompkins Square Park — now on video (Thursday)

• The EVG 2017 recap (Friday ... Saturday)

• Remembering a few of our friends and neighbors who died in 2017 (Sunday)

• Classic Man Barber Lounge coming to 9th Street (Wednesday)

• Free scarves along the East River Promenade (Dec. 25)

• Crunch time at the Kellogg's NYC Café on Union Square (Wednesday)

• Malcriada morphing into Bar Taco on Avenue C (Tuesday)

• Report: The SBS15 has the worst on-time arrival in the MTA fleet (Tuesday)

• Thank you for 35 years of reheating leftovers and other microwaving activities (Friday)

• Former Wall 88 space for rent on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday)

• Window watch at 32 E. 1st St. (Tuesday)