Touch-screen kiosks that do not take cash will be the order at Shake Shack's Death Star branch

The Shake Shack opening any day now at 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/Death Star will be a cashless and (mostly) faceless experience.

Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti offered what Shake Shackgoers can expect here during an interview with CNBC yesterday:

[T]his Shake Shack won't have a cashier's counter. Instead, guests will use digital kiosks or their mobile phones to place orders. Manning these kiosks will be "hospitality champs," Shake Shack employees who specialize in making customers' time in the restaurant as seamless and enjoyable as possible.

Orders will go directly to the kitchen, which has been rearranged to "eliminate friction time," Garutti told CNBC.

Eliminating "friction" is a big piece of this new Shack location. In addition to streamlining the back of house operation, the Astor Place Shake Shack will not accept cash. Garutti said many customers still pay with cash in its restaurants, but the company wants to see if removing that option will make the dining experience more seamless.

In addition, instead of the traditional Shake Shack buzzer, diners will receive a text from the restaurant letting them know when their food is ready. This way customers are no longer tethered to the restaurant while their food is being prepared, Garutti said.

Garutti said that the Death Star Shack "will be a playground where we can test and learn the ever-shifting needs of our guests."

A few other things from the interview:

In order to hire the best staff, Garutti said the company will be paying workers at this location a minimum of $15 an hour.

And...

Garutti said company officials expect a few hiccups, but they are just excited to see what elements of this restaurant work best. In particular, he said the restaurant made sure to have a backup plan in case of internet malfunctions or Wi-Fi issues.

As Eater reported, Shake Shack has 17 open and upcoming locations in NYC and over 135 worldwide.

Updated 8 a.m.

The crinkle cut fries are being delivered...

Monday's parting shot

A tribute to Tom Petty at Black & White on 10th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue... The singer-songwriter was reportedly in grave condition following a heart attack last night at his Malibu home. (Earlier reports erroneously stated that Petty died.)

Updated 5:30 a.m.
Petty's family has confirmed his death. He was 66.

Photo by Dan Krupin via Instagram.

Along came some spiders on 7th Street

[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

This apartment building on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue is feeling Halloween. (Or the super needs an exterminator.)

Accidental art

Spotted on Ninth Street via Grant Shaffer...

Eastville Comedy Club looking to move to former Chase space on Avenue A

The corner space at 20 Avenue A and Second Street has sat empty since the Chase branch closed in November 2015.

And after at least five brokers showed the space, it looks there's potential new tenant. According to CB3's SLA agenda for Oct. 16, Eastville Comedy Club, currently housed on Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery, is proposing to move into some part of 20 Avenue A. (This is a pretty large space, and the various listings said that it could be divided.)

The full questionnaire for this application isn't online just yet. Will update when that is available.

This CB3-SLA meeting is scheduled for Oct. 16 at the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton. The drama starts at 6:30 p.m. (The SLA committee meeting agenda is split up over two nights. The second meeting is Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
The retail-wine bar possibilities for the former Chase space on Avenue A and East 2nd Street

The retail space at 20 Avenue A no longer looks like a bank branch

Joe & Pat's hiring this week on 1st Avenue

[Photo Friday by Steven]

Joe & Pat's is hiring this week — Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for all positions.

The Staten Island pizzeria, which got its start there in 1960, is expected to open later this fall, serving a variety of thin-crust pies and pastas.

As previously noted, Lanza's was the longtime tenant here at 168 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street.

Find previous posts on this topic here.

Also coming soon and hiring: Szechuan Mountain House on St. Mark's Place

There's a new Coming Soon banner on the upper level at 19-23 St. Mark's Place for Szechuan Mountain House, an offshoot of the establishment with the same name in Flushing.

The restaurant is hiring, per the sign on the front door here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



Szechuan Mountain House is next door to Mango Mango, serving desserts from Hong Kong ... they are still in the Grand Opening phase...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Mango Mango bringing more dessert to St. Mark's Place

Szechuan Mountain House coming to St. Mark's Place

Dian Kitchen bringing food from the Yunnan Province to 9th Street

[Photo by Steven]

Dian Kitchen has announced itself at 435 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue ...


[Photo by EVG reader Dennis]

According to the restaurant's Instagram account, "Dian Kitchen will serve mixian (Rice Noodle) and small dishes. Inspired from the providence of Yunnan." (The account notes that the owner is a native Yunnaner.)

Dian Kitchen, which is expected to open next month, will have daily hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Workshop, a body-piercing shop, was the previous tenant at this address

Sara Kay Gallery debuts on 2nd Street

The Sara Kay Gallery is now open at 4 E. Second St., just off the Bowery, in space that previously housed the Rivington Arms gallery.

This is the first gallery for Kay, whose career includes stints as director of the White Cube gallery in London, director of the fine art department at Jan Krugier Gallery and as a specialist for Christie’s, per published reports.

Per the Gallery's website:

Her diverse expertise will drive the gallery’s genre-defying programming, which will span a wide range of art historical periods and movements, and provide an expansive vision for collecting. The gallery will also put a special emphasis on supporting female artists.

The New York Times had more on the first exhibit:

The inaugural exhibition, “A Limitless Vision: The Collection of Audrey B. Heckler,” will show pieces from Ms. Heckler’s exceptional trove of works by self-taught artists such as Martín Ramírez, Aloïse Corbaz, Madge Gill, Adolf Wölfli and James Castle. Ms. Kay will also display hand-painted ceramics by Picasso and a cast by Dubuffet — artists who found inspiration in outsider art. “Dubuffet had an enormous collection of Art Brut,” or raw art, said Ms. Kay, “and was really a champion of this genre.”

Well it's official 🥂Thank you everyone for your support and the warm welcome to the LES!

A post shared by Sara Kay Gallery (@sarakaygallery) on Sep 28, 2017 at 3:47pm PDT

Space Mabi now with an Oct. 10 opening date

Over at 67 First Ave., the opening for Space Mabi has been pushed back. The Korean tapas bar/restaurant (aka gastropub) at Fourth Street originally had a Sept. 19 debut set, per the front-door signage... then it was pushed to Sept. 26 ... and now, Oct. 10...



The proprietors were previously behind a similar venture on Fifth Avenue at 30th Street called Space Nabi, which closed in the spring. It was a cafe in the morning hours, with food and drinks later in the day.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Guayoyo has been closed now for 1 year

Gastropub — 'Your new playground' — slated for former Guayoyo space on 1st Avenue

Week in Grieview

[Photo by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

CB3 calls on the MTA to address poor frequency and reliability of the M14A bus (Friday)

Hurricane Maria relief efforts continue at 2nd Street firehouse (Tuesday)

Icon Realty fined $500,000 in tenant harassment probe (Thursday)

Out and About with Nancy Blum (Wednesday)

Christo and Dora look to be building another nest (Friday)

Frisson Espresso coming to 3rd Avenue (Monday)

As No. 320 turns: 5 restaurants have come and gone in this space in 1 year (Monday)

The latest installment of I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Friday)

A tale of 2 chains on 3rd Avenue (Thursday)

Ciao For Now now open on Tuesdays this fall (Tuesday)

Mani in Pa sta coming to 14th Street (Monday)

Mark Burger won't be back around here (Monday)

Construction watch: 363 Lafayette (Tuesday)

Dog's cafe life: Boris and Horton signage arrives on 12th and A (Wednesday)

Cheers Cut makes it (more) official on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Here's "Gotti" (Tuesday)

Rent a former Duane Reade on Broadway (Tuesday)

Mayahuel replacement now open on 6th Street (Wednesday)

... EVG regular Jose Garcia came across this in Tompkins Square Park today... a candle on a letter marked "My Love Story" ...



... and if you're in the market for a free Vintage Schwinn Air Dyne Exercise Bike ... someone yesterday left this on Seventh Street just east of Second Avenue... Derek Berg, who took this photo, reports that it is in good working condition...



... and it has moved to the trash bins outside Cafe Mocha ...



---

Follow EVG on Instragram and/or Twitter for more updates

Peep the 2017 collection of dioramas at the Ninth Street Community Garden & Park

Peephole Season — late September into October — is here again at the Ninth Street Community Garden & Park on the northeast corner of Avenue C... as East Village artist J. Kathleen White has unveiled her 2017 collection of dioramas...



Here's a look at three of the four dioramas ...







These arrived this past week ... and will be up on the fence along Avenue C for six weeks.

White started creating and sharing the dioramas in 2005. Here's her work from 2016 ... 2015 ... 2014 ... 2013 ... 2012 ... and 2011....

20th anniversary Raybeez tribute in Tompkins Square Park Sunday

There's a free show in Tompkins Square Park tomorrow afternoon... a tribute to Raybeez, aka, Ray Barbieri, the frontman of the New York hardcore band Warzone who died of pneumonia in September 1997.

You can find more info about the bands and the show here.

The Educational Alliance's relief drive for Puerto Rico continues through Oct. 1

The Educational Alliance continues to collect supplies for Puerto Rican residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria... the flyer above lists the items they are collecting... and they can be dropped off at...



• Manny Cantor Center, 197 E. Broadway
• 14th Street Y, 344 E. 14th St.
• Sirovich Center, 331 E. 12th St.
• Center for Recovery and Wellness, 25-29 Avenue D

Engine 28/Ladder 11 at 222 E. Second St. between Avenue B and Avenue C is also still accepting donations daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Updated Oct. 1

Via the comments... Out East on Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B is having a fundraiser today... details here and in their Instagram post below...

The catastrophic collision of Hurricane Maria has left Puerto Rico in a humanitarian crisis. There will be no electricity for months, gas, clean water and soon food. Please join us for a Fuerza La Isla Bonita Brunch which will bring aid our beloved Puerto Rico💔❤️🇵🇷. We will be donating an incredible passed brunch meal with admission to the party. Tickets are $20 in advance going entirely to the charities and $25 day of. The menu: tuna tartare, spicy shrimp tempura, bacon egg and cheese sliders, cheeseburger sliders, smoked salmon crostini, egg and caviar crostini. So come raise a glass in support of Puerto Rico, vieques, culebra and the rest of the Caribbean. Please regram in support! How to help: 1) Buy a ticket and join us October 1st 2) Make a donation if you can't attend 3) Help us spread the word - all proceeds will be donated to help in restoring Puerto Rico #fuerzalaislabonita fuerzalaislabonita.eventbrite.com Hosted by: @cosmicchristine @elizabethrand30 @_nilmarie_ @cyndiramirez @melsstyles @brooklynsurfcompany @erikawilliams11 @beautybyharper @alianagalan #Fuerzlaaislabonita #togetherwearestronger #helppuertorico

A post shared by Out East NYC (@outeastnyc) on Sep 27, 2017 at 1:50pm PDT

A zine launch party on 'How Not to Get Arrested' tomorrow night at MoRUS

Via the EVG inbox...

ZINE Launch Party at MoRUS!
Brand new zine "How Not to Get Arrested at a Demonstration" by Bill of Times Up with illustrations by FLY is being launched on Sunday Oct. 1 at 7 PM at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space!

All attendees will get a just-released copy of "How Not to Get Arrested" zine with the latest tactics. This zine is a crucially important read in this current political climate, giving you all the information you need to know in order to decrease your odds of being arrested at a political demonstration.

The zine includes how to prepare for an action, how to scout your location, how to pack, and many more tips that will keep you from getting arrested and eating prison food. This zine will help you stand up for your First Amendment rights and avoid confrontation with the police. Fly will do a slideshow of her illustrations followed by a discussion where you can add your tips on how not to be arrested!

MoRUS is at 155 Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

Higher learning

Earlier in the week, the "NYC not NYU" message arrived outside the Dunkin' Donuts on First Avenue and Sixth Street.

And by yesterday...


[Photo by @edenbrower]

Updated!

SMU is getting into the act, too, per Goggla...

A chance to bless your pets

This just in this evening...

The annual Blessing of Animals will take place on Saturday September 30th at 1 p.m. in front of Immaculate Conception Church, 414 E. 14th Street near First Avenue. All are welcome!

Per the flyer, the pets do not have to be Catholic to be blessed...

You were Alvvays on my mind

Alvvays sound as if they'd be on a bill at the Roadhouse in the "Twin Peaks" return.

The Canadian pop band released its second album, Antisocialites, on Sept. 8. The video here is for "In Undertow."

P.S. The band is playing out at Brooklyn Steel on Thursday.

Noted

A reader spotted this on Fourth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... there's probably a good backstory here...

EV Grieve Etc.: Transparency for LLCs; Cinematic tribute to Harry Dean Stanton

[Photo on 2nd Avenue Tuesday by Derek Berg]

Sen. Hoylman wants to make it illegal for powerful interests to hide behind LLCs (Town & Village)

Activists celebrate passage of tenant protection legislation (The Lo-Down)

God's Love We Deliver serves its 20 millionth meal; East Village resident is the recipient of milestone meal (ABC 7)

DOT apparently not feeling a transit-only 14th Street during the L train shutter (Streetsblog)

Hells Angel accused of shooting man for moving parking cone died last month of a brain aneurysm (New York Post ... previously on EVG)

A visit to Spark Pretty on Ninth Street (Gothamist ... previously on EVG)


[Photo on 3rd Avenue Wednesday by Derek Berg]

Some history outside the Mud Cafe storefront (Off the Grid)

Debbie Harry's early East Village apartment (Time Out)

At the screening for "Hunting Pignut" at MoRUS last week (Slum Goddess)

Little Tong Noodle Shop on First Avenue at 11th Street is now open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday (Instagram)

The latest mural on the Bowery Wall promotes Instagram’s #KindComments campaign (BoweryBoogie)

A long read on Gino Sorbillo, "Italy’s most famous pizzamaker," who’s coming to 334 Bowery (Eater ... previously on EVG)

The Harry Dean Stanton retrospective continues (Quad Cinema)

First renderings revealed for Essex Crossing's second phase (Curbed)

"Big Trouble in Little China" and "Chinatown" among this weekend's highlights at the Metrograph (Official site)

When Velvet Underground’s "Venus in Furs" was used in a commercial for car tires (Dangerous Minds)

...and we heard from a few people who were curious about the mystery East Village restaurant that serves as the setting for the mostly unreadable Kate McKinnon cover story in the new Vanity Fair:

Kate and I are meeting for lunch, naturally, and she’s suggested a place in the East Village. I can’t say the name because I promised Kate I wouldn’t. (It’s a best-kept secret, only it wouldn’t be if I blabbed, is the idea.) Technically it’s a restaurant, though “restaurant” seems like too highfalutin a term to convey its essence. “Hole-in-the-wall” might be nearer the mark, “dump” nearer still: linoleum floor, laminated menus, Asian-y pop music on the speakers (“Asian-y” is as close as I’ll get to giving away its identity—see, Kate, I didn’t break my word), ceiling fan moving the thick, soupy air around some without cooling it any. Yet the food is as good as the ambience is bad, as I will soon discover when a guy, a waiter I assume though he’s in street clothes, flings on the table first Kate’s dish and then, following a discreet dick adjustment, mine.

H/T Brian Van!

I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant

East Village resident Susan Schiffman has been photographing the apartments of rent-stabilized tenants living in the East Village for her Instagram account, I Am a Rent Stabilized Tenant. She will share some of the photos here for this ongoing EVG feature.



Tenant: Ralph

Ralph came to the East Village in 1985 from Sylhet, Bangladesh.

A friend and neighbor introduced Ralph to the landlord of his current apartment, where he has lived since 1992. Until this point, he had been sharing an apartment with friends from Sylhet.

Upon moving into the apartment photographed here, he was joined by his wife Lipi and 3-year-old daughter Lisa, who remained in Bangladesh until he had his own place. He and Lipi had another daughter in 1999.

Ralph worked for years at a now-closed East Village restaurant. Today, he is retired. His daughter Lisa is married, and she has a son and daughter.

The family has many friends, and this apartment sees many visitors. It is a home as a place for enjoying family, sharing food and celebrating life.

















If you're interested in inviting Susan in to photograph your apartment for an upcoming post, then you may contact her via this email.

CB3 calls on the MTA to address poor frequency and reliability of the M14A bus

[EVG file photo]

Back in July, CB3's Transportation, Public Safety & Environment Committee asked for input from residents about the frequency and reliability of the M14A bus.

Sen. Daniel Squadron's office had also made requests for improved M14A service — specifically the frequency of the buses.

On Tuesday night, the full Community Board adopted a resolution documenting the M14A's dismal service and called on the MTA to take "swift remedial action."

Here's part of the media advisory via the EVG inbox...

The CB3 resolution builds on more than a decade of community demands for improved M14A bus service.

“In response to past calls for better M14A bus service, the MTA has regularly taken the position that the M14A route is operating just fine. Our community knows full well that is not the case,” said Chad Marlow, chair of CB3’s Transportation, Public Safety & Environment Committee.

Marlow added, “the goal of our resolution is to document the shortcomings of the M14A bus service in extensive detail and to request corrective measures be swiftly taken. It is time to stop engaging in a false debate over whether problems on the line exist. Our resolution will hopefully and at long last put that debate to rest so we can get down to fixing the problems.”

The CB3 resolution points out that many of the MTA’s assumptions about the M14A’s adequacy are based on faulty data. For example, because young students do not swipe MetroCards when boarding busses, they are not counted by the MTA as passengers.

Likewise, when M14A passengers give up waiting for a bus and take the M14D bus instead, as they frequently do despite the long walks that await them at their destinations, they are counted as M14D passengers. CB3’s resolution points out that the M14A’s poor service has the greatest impact on local school children, elderly residents, and persons trying to get to and from work.

In addition to requesting services changes to improve the frequency and reliability of buses on the M14A route, CB3 also requested the MTA appear before its Transportation, Public Safety & Environment Committee to discuss why disparities exist between the community’s and MTA’s analysis of the route.

You can find the full resolution (PDF) at the CB3 website here. (It starts on the second page.)

Christo and Dora look to be building another nest; boredom a possibility too

In the past week or so, Hawk Watchers in Tompkins Square Park have spotted resident red-tailed hawks Christo and Dora start work on a new love nest in the ginkgo tree that they used in 2016.

As you can see in these photos by Steven, Christo has some nest supplies in his right talon...



Kinda difficult to see, so...



Anyway, this seems a little early for the hawks to be in nest-making mode. (And how many more kids are they going to have????)

Goggla has more here:

[F]or the last two years, they have begun the task in October, so maybe they like to get ahead. Christo and Dora are a well-bonded pair, and projects like this serve to reinforce their partnership.

Sounds good!

Or, maybe they're just bored!

In any event, the ginkgo tree is considered a good spot for a nest. Back to Goggla:

The tree itself is strong and can be easily defended from squirrels. The cross at St Brigid's church is a perfect perch for the hawks, giving them a good view of the nest and surrounding area. We won't know what their real plans are until January or February, but based on their past behavior, these hawks look pretty serious about this location.

To date, there aren't any work permits on file with the city for this ginkgo tree. Expect to see a Stop Work Order soon enough.

Head over to Goggla's site here for more thoughts and lots of great photos.