Seen & Heard: A Bunch of Restaurant Updates

••• Del Frisco’s Grille, the chain restaurant coming to Brookfield Place (on Vesey, across from Amada), has come out from under the plywood; also, help-wanted signs are posted.

••• Some nice old-fashioned signage for Harry & Ida’s Luncheonette, the spinoff of Harry & Ida’s in the East Village opening on Park Place.

••• 60 Hudson is offering to show local artists’ work in one of its W. Broadway windows.

••• Equipment and decor (including the chandeliers) were being removed from 221 W. Broadway yesterday, so maybe something is finally happening in the former White Street restaurant space.

••• The LED Lab at 475 Greenwich (the Zinc Building) was served with an eviction notice.

••• The Little Hunter burger restaurant slated to open at the World Trade Center mall—between the One World Observatory and Condé Nast entrances—appears to have punted: The signage is gone, and it’s not on the directory (which has recently been updated, because Kit and Ace is gone, too). Interestingly, the Pulia store—showcasing food from the Italian region of Puglia—is still on the directory, so maybe it paid its back rent.

 

4 Comments

  1. The contents of the restaurant at 221 W Broadway were being auctioned off, which is not uncommon when a restaurant goes bust. It’s not clear that anything is happening in the way of a new restaurant tenant, who would probably want to keep much of the kitchen equipment.

    From amodeoauctions.com :

    Short Notice Auction – Short Notice Auction Not Previously Advertised:

    MICHAEL AMODEO & CO., INC.

    SELL TUESDAY, MAY 30, 2017 AT 2:30 PM AT
    221 WEST BROADWAY, MANHATTAN, NYC 10013

    Between Franklin St & White St, Tribeca Area

    Well known 300 Seat Upscale
    RESTAURANT – BAR – RESTAURANT

    Click HERE to See Images

    3 Jade 6 burner stove w oven, Jade flat top stove w oven, 3 Jade deep fryers, Magic kitchen 24” char grill, Garland electric convection oven, Market forge gas tilting skillet, 2 Bakers pride late model 251 three pie pizza ovens, prep tables, 5 Kolpak walkin refrigerators & freezers, D300 Hobart 30Qt mixer w attachments, Kold draft 600lb ice machine, Manitowac 500lb ice machine, Norlake ice chipper, Globe ss meat slicer, Hobart meat bandsaw, Hobart meat grinder, Carpigiani countertop batch freezer for making gelato & hard ice cream, countertop reversible dough sheeter, Traulsen 1 & 2 ss dr upright reachin refrigerators, 2 head espresso & cappuccino machine, espresso coffee grinder, candy stove, bain maries, 6 True refrigerated lowboys, beer coolers, bar sink, ice bins, mug chiller, glass washer, POS system w screens & printers, metro racks, ss sinks & tables.
    3 Hi end crystal chandeliers, designer lighting, wall sconces, wall mirrors, Sound equipment, amps, 12 hi end speakers, 100 hi end wood dining rm chairs, 25 wood top dining rm tables w old fashion cast iron bases, 25 bar stools, hi top tables, 150Ft hi end banquets, 10 matching circular booths, fine white Rosenthal China dinnerware, heavy flatware, gourmet pots, pans, utensils, ss inserts, fry & sauce pans, sheet pans, hotel pans, trays, fine wine glassware, bar glassware, stemware, bar supplies, glass rack, waiter trays, 15Ft marble top bar & back bars w matching refrigerated back bars, custom glass wine vault & much more.

    • Agree that an auction makes a restaurant tenant seem less likely, although an unspecified alteration to the liquor-license has shown up (and been withdrawn) from a couple of recent CB1 agendas. And conceivably, a restaurant that already has its own equipment could be moving there.

      • It looks like the landlord regained possession of the premises as of June 1, whether by early lease termination or otherwise, per the possession date in the NY Times and the rental listing, as a direct deal with landlord and no key money.

        http://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/02/realestate/commercial/recent-commercial-real-estate-transactions.html

        http://www.sinvin.com/listing/221-west-broadway/

        This auction may have been the tenant cleaning out on their last possible day to salvage some cash.

        NYS Liquor Authority Advisory #2015-5 requires the existing liquor license be placed in safekeeping from the date it closed. It is not clear per the SLA rules under what conditions the existing license would now still be transferable. (A new license should be attainable, but probably with a longer delay than a transfer.)

        “Safekeeping
        If the licensed business temporarily closes or otherwise temporarily ceases licensed activities for more than two weeks, the license certificate must be placed in safekeeping with the Authority.

        […]

        “With the exception of class ‘C’ beer wholesaler licenses or unless approved by the Authority if good cause is shown, no license certificate may remain in safekeeping for more than six months.

        At the conclusion of that six month period, a licensee must be prepared to either: take the license certificate out of safekeeping and resume licensed activities; surrender the license; or request and obtain approval for an extension of the time the license certificate may be kept in safekeeping.

        […]

        “The request [for an extension] must explain why there is good cause to approve the extension. Examples of good cause include natural disasters and fires that require significant repairs or rebuilding of the licensed premises, and litigation between the licensee and landlord that prohibits the licensee from occupying the premises.
        Reasons such as remodeling, renovations, or searches for new locations to move the licensed business do not constitute good cause to grant an extension.”

  2. Erik, You should document the windows at 60 Hudson. It’s going to be a hot series with each artist showing for 6 weeks.

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