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Two New Fast-Food Restaurants
Two more fast-food chains are opening new outposts in Tribeca.
Wendy’s has signed a lease at 261 Broadway, between Chambers and Warren, where the Emigrant Savings Bank used to be. I have personal reasons for wishing it weren’t so, making this next sentence a conflict of interest, but what are they thinking? Few locals will venture inside, there’s already a Wendy’s at Nassau and Fulton, Checkers is around the corner (so good luck competing on price), and the sad little Burger King that recently opened a few blocks north isn’t exactly thriving. As for tourists, I’d bet money that Shake Shack will open at the World Trade Center mall.
Second, and this one is less of a done deal, I hear that a big McDonald’s is coming to the southeast corner of Church and Canal, currently home to a souvenir shop. The reasoning is also somewhat mysterious, as there’s another McDonald’s between Broadway and Lafayette. But that’s awfully far when you need a Chicken McNugget.
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Church and Canal and Broadway between Chambers and Warren aren’t even close to Tribeca in my mind. Perhaps on a map, but if anyone from those areas said they lived in ‘Tribeca, I’d laugh.
Slow news day? :)
In other words, you’re laughing at me?
Both of those areas have generally been considered Tribeca for a while now.
As I said, perhaps on a map.
But I live in the heart of what was Tribeca, Greenwich and Chambers streets.
Funny, I see MacDonald’s, Subway, Chipotle, Jamba Juice, Starbucks, Whole Foods, and others all from my windows.
To long standing residents, Tribeca died when Auslander’s closed.
Jim,
This web-site is for Tribeca related news. If the story is about heart of Tribeca, the outskirts of Tribeca, or even outside the borders of Tribeca it is still news for the citizens of Tribeca. I’m confident plenty of people in Tribeca have an interest in the retail environment of the surrounding area.
Secondly, to ‘laugh’ at people thinking that two locations that map inside Tribeca are not part of Tribeca is simply foolish. Regardless of what you were meaning to say, it comes off quite snobbish and of poor taste.
What’s “snobbish and of poor taste” was the original article which presumes that Tribeca residents are “above” a Wendy’s or MacDonald’s moving in to their neighborhood.
I quote, “but what are they thinking? Few locals will venture inside”.
Seems rather presumptuous to me.
But I suppose those who define their neighborhood by “property values” think differently than many of us. I’ve lived (and owned) in Tribeca since the early 80’s and have witnessed an amazing renaissance in the area, but lately, the chain stores and TD Banks of the world are homogenizing what was one of the most unique areas in New York.
Mom and Pop replaced by large corporate interests. It will be interesting to see what moves into the space formally occupied by “Hows Bayou”…I mean, “The Harrison”. :)
Respectfully, I don’t think Erik’s capable of snobbery, and I don’t think that’s what he was getting at. The “what were they thinking” comment has more to do with marketing. The area is saturated with anonymous, commodity-based businesses, as you rightly point out. I have to defer to the fast-food (highly processed) bean counters who made the decision to put yet another vending machine in the form of a store where the Emigrant was. I’m sure they have some algorithm that tells them to the square foot how many dots they can lay on a given population map and still yield x percent profit, yet it’s still painful to witness, isn’t it? I think that’s all Erik was saying. Though there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with it in concept, everyone deserves better than Wendy’s. That’s just a truism.
PS: I go back quite a way too, and by way of illustration/comparison, in 1975 there were no chains or syndicated businesses anywhere from Liberty St. to Canal on Church. When a Blimpie’s opened (bet. Duane and Thomas, iirc) it looked new and pre-packaged, so there was that. But everyone from the nabe avoided it because they knew to expect utter mediocrity at best, and we deserved better then as well. And there were LOTS of alternatives if you wanted a cheap sandwich.
Well, if I’ve misread the original article, I apologize, but I still don’t understand the “Few locals will venture inside” comment. Those spots, on Canal, and lower Broadway, are full of transient foot traffic, so I’m guessing they will survive.
What I find particularly frustrating is that commercial rents have grown to the point where only large corporate chains with plenty of cash can afford to develop retail spaces. Yes, there are some contrary examples, like the little Macaroon shop that opened on lower Greenwich, for example, but the majority of retail in Tribeca seems doomed to the TD Banks, MacDonald’s, Subway’s, Jamba Juices, Chipotle’s, Petco’s and the Starbucks of the world which do little to foster the community.
I don’t have any answers, but would encourage patronage of the neighborhood retailer.
My sincere condolences to all long standing residents on the death of Tribeca. I don’t think anyone’s property values were made aware of the passing. RIP Tribeca. Where do we go now? I hear Detroit, St. Louis, and Baltimore are ripe for “pioneering.” Wagon trains Hoooo!