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Views From Your Windows
tien on the closing of Gage & Tollner
From Classy Steaks to Fatty Foods
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i agree- there is no fighting the markets, but it is an irony of the vilest sort that gage is being replaced with TGIF. i better not catch marty markowitz in there, or i'm not going to be voting for him in the next election.
Its a shame. New York City once was a bastion of small family owned businesses, remarkably resistant to franchises. I grew up in this city, and every time I see new Starbucks, Subway, Barnes and Noble, Domino's, etc etc etc etc etc etc.... IT MAKES ME SICK. BOYCOTT THEM ALL!!! I dont care how good a Starbucks coffee is, you are going to hell for spending your money there, and all the other franchises and national chains.
I hope Homeland Security isnt reading this, but I have long fantasized about the potential in a combination of cinder blocks, empty wine bottles, kerosene, rags, and a book of matches........
Riese only owns the TGIFs in Manhattan, but the thought of Riese branching them out into the boroughs is scary indeed.
There was a news item recently (maybe a 'Shame On You!' on CBS) about how the Riese TGIFs don't accept TGIF gift cards or coupons. So this couple was trying to pay for their $23 burger with a gift card, and the manager's like, "Sorry, we don't accept those."
Riese is an evil, evil corporation.
If you want Brooklyn food, go to Smith St. New local place opened on Union and Smith this week and the food is better than any chain. The TGIF is going to be for the adventuous tourists that want to see what "Brooklyn" is like. No self respecting NYer will go there.
Does remind me of a funny story. Walking by TGIF in Times Square, I overheard someone coming out of it saying "That was better than the TGIF at home." You're in New York! Go to a local place! Losers.
uh, jake...what are you doing voting for people in brooklyn?
Sad as it may be, the "franchising of Manhattan" is an economic fact of live. The little that I know about Riese is that the company is, primarily, a real estate acquisition company...it seeks to acquire high-traffic locations and generate as much revenue as possible from them with whatever appeals to the market...be it donuts or hot dogs or poppers or...
As long as companies like Wal-Mart or Starbucks or Staples or Blockbuster have advanced distribution systems, enjoy economies of scale and can absorb $$$-losing stores, native Mom & Pops are going to have a tough time of it.
Some thoughts prompted by Jack's comments:
-I'm not disputing that people are willing to pay more for quality or service. That's precisely why I'd rather buy my coffee from http://www.orensdailyroast.com/index.asp than Starbuck's.
-One reason the chains do so poorly in the City is that it's difficult to "buy" an oustanding employee for $6+/hour. I once had an employee rationalize their stealing from their employer because the company didn't pay her enough to support herself and her child.
-Given that Smith St. has been brought into the discussion, I'm wondering how readers feel about the fact that restaurants charging upscale prices and serving an upscale clientele have replaced small, family-owned businesses (bodegas, newstands, etc.) serving the diminishing, aging Hispanic community nearby.
to tack onto what Jake said, there are some expensive restaurants on Smith St. -- Grocery, Chestnut -- but there are also some affordable eats. A new place called Sonny's opened on Smith and Union last week and the food was very good and reasonably priced, although there were some service issues that I think are due to the fact it just opened. But the place looks like its owned by the Bagels on the Park owners -- local people who are investing in the neighborhood, not outsiders trying to cash in. And as much as we don't need another restaurant on Smith St., the place was packed this weekend. So there are changes in Brooklyn, no doubt, but not all of them are bad for the locals.
To clarify:
I didn't mean to imply that all of the new Smith St. businesses are overpriced...I was trying, instead, to highlight the process of gentrification and its impact on aging businesses and populations.
For the sake of argument, what is the difference between locals "investing in the neighborhood" and "outsiders" "seeking to cash in"? Aren't both capitalizing on the gentrification of the Smith St. area in order to make a profit? Is one group reinvesting profits to provide support services to the aging population and the other not? What is the difference between a locally owned restaurant that strives to convey the ambience of a Parisian bistro or an Asian bar (down to the bamboo!), and a corporately owned theme restaurant (Outback or Chi Chis, anyone?)
I suppose what I'm trying to highlight is that there is something elitist about labeling a "local" restaurant as good and a "chain" restaurant as bad. On what bases are these value judgements made?
The reason Gage & Tollner failed is because the Fulton Mall looks more and more like a slummier version of 125th Street everyday. The crowd that they catered to simply doesn't want to go over there anymore, and the crowd that does hang around there is more likely to head around the corner to Popeyes. I expect TGIF to struggle in that spot also: MTA headquarters down the block will be moving to their new building in Manhattan soon, significantly reducing foot traffic in the area.
u r fatt!!!!!!!!!!
The Gothamist boards seem to attract more flame wars lately. Thank God It's Monday.
To people who think that ripping on chain stores is elitist, I have this to say-chain stores and restaurants suck the life out the communities they build in.Every city in this country is unique and each have their own kinds of foods that mark their individuality.People come to New York to experience NEW YORK food,the same way people go to Santa Fe, Kansas City,or anywhere else.I don't know about you,but there is nothing nice about having an entree knowing that it's made the same damn way ALL OVER,or letting a Fridays or Applebees decide what I think Southwest or Italian cuisine should taste like!!!!!People dont travel around to these places to be bombarded by the same crap they have at home.Besides,think how much it would suck if the chains put every independent restaurant out and THEY where the only places left to eat at?!!