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Tasting Room courtesy Cravings, Chez Brigitte courtesy Vanishing New York, Hopscotch courtesy mgoddard.
The incessant stampede of "neighborhood institution" closures has a way of making your eyes glaze over, but today’s tally of three (and counting!) price-outs demands observation. Jeremiah's Vanishing New York – fast becoming the most depressing read in town – has the bad news of two of them. The first is Hopscotch, the 2.0 version of Avenue A’s Alt.Coffee, renowned for its ‘No ODs Allowed’ signage in the filthy bathroom. Owner Nick Bodor had hoped to fancy his place up for the yupsters, but it seems the local real estate market won’t rest until the space is a real estate office.
Earlier, Vanishing New York broke news that Chez Brigitte, the humble luncheonette on Greenwich Avenue, is closing tonight after 50 years in business. The chef says “the lease is up and the rent has doubled,” but even Jeremiah is beginning to wonder if his blog is the kiss of death, because he just wrote about its 50th anniversary in March : “It seems every time I post the story of a survivor, they soon go under.” Restaurateurs may want to start posting the J-Reaper's picture in the kitchen and alerting the staff.
Also tits up is longtime gourmand favorite The Tasting Room. The original 24-seat restaurant on First Street was a hit soon after opening in ’99, thanks to chef Colin Alevras innovative cooking and his commitment to fresh ingredients supplied from local farmers. In 2006, the restaurant relocated to a larger space on Elizabeth and, according to some, struggled to maintain the same level of excellence. An underwhelming Times review set a bad tone, and the $18,000 a month rent (according to one source) couldn’t have made things any easier. Alevras confirmed the closing in a comment on Eater Monday; Cravings and Grub Street have eulogies today. (N.B.: The original First Street location is still open under Alevras as a wine bar.)
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Congratulations greedy landlords. Before long every mom and pop in the entire city will be closed and everyone can enjoy more branch banks and Corcoran offices as they stroll along empty storefronts. Greed is rapidly becoming our undoing here in the city. It's getting to where no-one can afford to buy a house, pay rent, or even stay at a hotel at over $500 a night. NYC is going to fall hard when it falls, and believe me, it will fall. All our insane prices are unsustainable.
Restaurateurs may want to start posting the J-Reaper's picture in the kitchen and alerting the staff.
these wonderful landlords are going to bring in those big chains and finally give this town that 'touch of Dayton' that's sorely needed. TGIFridays can afford those huge rents, as can The Olive Garden. Even Chipotle's Grill and Applebees will be coming soon!
$18,000 a month does seem like a lot.
Let's see, $18,000 a month is about $600 a day.
the place has 24 seats. Assuming 2 full seatings each day, the overhead for rent alone is $12.50 a seat.
their menu prices are here:
http://thetastingroomnyc.com/menu.html
Anyone have any idea what is sustainable in the restaurant business? Hard to tell if they are the victim of high rent, or if this is just a case of bad management.
As for Chez Brigitte, just saying that the rent doubled doesn't really give enough information to assess. Business leases are negotiated for a long term, not for just a year or two. If the rent was locked in 10 years ago, doubling might not be such a shock. Still, it makes sense that rent increases are driving out lower cost businesses, like diners and cheap eateries.
Where are all the hackers going to hang out now that alt.coffee is closed again?
What a shame. Cafe Brigitte was a charming little place, and I had many good nights reading in Alt.Coffee. If the pattern continues, eventually everything that gives New York its backbone -- shoe shine spots, bodegas (not "gourmet" delis -- a word that, along with "luxury," I could not be more sick of), diners, and stores selling anything other than fashionable, overpriced clothing (set to techno music) -- will close. The rich will have finally, fully inherited the city, and they will walk around and hate it, because they destroyed the street life that made it great. Or maybe they'll love it. F*** them either way.
Someone has to explain something to me. I see all these institutions being priced out, yet the stores stay unleased. Coliseum Books close a year and a half ago and the space is still available. How are landlords possibly making money?
They take it as a loss on their taxes. If you own a bunch of properties and some are successful, you can weigh some against the others to wiggle through loopholes.