Bombay Sandwich Co. Opening First Store

November 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Serious Eats reports the popular vegetarian Indian sandwich stand, a favorite at Smorgasburg, will open their first store on November 18th. Husband-wife owners Shiv Puri and Shikha Jain are in the final stages of revamping their Chelsea outpost on 48 west 27th Street.

Admirably, the first-time restaurant owners considered the opening process seamless, and they managed to stay within their budget.

In regards to the experience, Puri claims, “I’m thankful that it has, mostly, been really positive and empowering. Part of this is because I spent a lot of time making sure that I hired the right team.” Ten to fifteen architects and contractors presented Puri and wife Jain with widely varying proposals and budgets. He stressed the importance of presenting your best work at every stage of the opening process; at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

Puri brings up a valid point; hiring the right team doesn’t end at kitchen and front of house staff in creating your “ideal” restaurant. Opening a restaurant is a two-way street; whether it’s your first time or twentieth, doing your homework in advance and coming prepared will bring your dreams one step closer to fruition.

Filed Under: Openings Tagged With: ,

1 Knickerbocker Coming to Bushwick

November 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

1 Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick will welcome an eponymous bar and restaurant in mid-November. In the past, the building housed a dance hall, brothel and speakeasy. Owner Jesse Levitt and manager Aimee Arciuolo are working towards restoring 1 Knickerbocker’s interior to its “original decor.” Levitt and Arciuolo plan to serve American food and classic cocktails at the newest rendition of this Bushwick venue. According to PropertyShark, the building sold from one LLC to another in 2012 for $1,625,000. Brownstoner dubbed 1 Knickerbocker the “House of the Day” at one point.

Eater announced the restaurant is currently hiring all Front of House positions as of last week.

Filed Under: Heard on The Street, Openings Tagged With:

Broadway Bites: Midtown Food Fair

November 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

On Monday, Urbanspace NYC opened Broadway Bites, a new street fair in Herald Square. Passersby can select from an array of goods from twenty-five vendors including Roberta’s pizza and Red Hook Lobster Pound’s lobster rolls. Even those with gluten-free and vegetarian needs can find something to quench their cravings.

People who work in the area now have the chance to lunch somewhere out of the ordinary, and Urbanspace press rep Rachel Van Dolsen claims it will be a great opportunity to “activate the space a little more.” Urbanspace also embraced the concept as a means of showcasing New York’s artisan food scene, especially considering the number of chains in Midtown.

When: 11am-9pm daily through 11/24/13

Where: 6th ave & 34th st

Filed Under: Events, Openings Tagged With:

24/7 Biscuits in the East Village

November 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Empire Biscuit, the newest niche-food outpost, opened its doors to the East Village this week. As of today at 8am, the Southern biscuit restaurant will be open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The neighborhood’s most-anticipated munchie-food joint offers twelve butters and spreads and twelve jams, jellies and marmalades to complement this comfort snack food. Biscuit sandwiches and biscuits & gravy are ideal options for meals.

More complex biscuits, including biscuit sandwiches, cost $6-8.50 and custom biscuits with one of the aforementioned spreads cost $4.50. Empire Biscuit also serves the popular, cold-pressed Blue Bottle coffee. The wide range of options allows customers to keep it simple with a plain biscuit and butter or to opt for a more adventurous meal, such as the spiced fried chicken, pickled carrots and sauce à l’orange biscuit sandwich. Some of the more gourmet accouterments include the oxtail & brown sugar jelly, pear & vinho verde butter and the bacon & cracklin’ butter.

Empire Biscuit’s slogan says it all: “Breakfast Lunch Dinner Drunk”.

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings, Trending Now

Verve: Brooklyn Coffee Pop-Up

November 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Verve coffee is scheduled to open a three-month pop-up shop this week at 33 Grand Street in Williamsburg.  Expect to find a full coffee bar, full espresso machine and Chemex pour-over coffeemakers. Menu items like the One-and-One, a single macchiato and single espresso artfully situated adjacent to one another on a saucer, will be available. If all goes well, the successful Santa-Cruz based company will consider making its next home in New York. On par with competitors Stumptown, Intelligentsia and Ritual, Verve should have no problem settling into the Brooklyn coffee scene.

Filed Under: Heard on The Street, Openings Tagged With: ,

Rwanda Documentary & Blue Marble Ice Cream

October 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The documentary Sweet Dreams premieres tomorrow at Quad Cinema. Sweet Dreams illustrates the remarkable story of Rwandan women who teamed with Blue Marble Ice Cream’s founders in pursuit of gaining financial independence. The triumph and entrepreneurial spirit of these empowered, industrious women is inspiring to any business owner.

After the 1994 genocide, Rwandan citizens needed to rebuild their sense of community. Rwandan theater director Kiki Katese founded Ingoma Nshya, the country’s first and only female drumming troupe. While drumming was an effective means of therapy, these women needed a way to support themselves financially. Consequently, Katese reached out to Alexis Miesen and Jennie Dunas of Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream. From there, the Hutu and Tutsi women learned the ice cream trade down to cone.

Inzozi Nziza (“Sweet Dreams”) will be Rwanda’s first ever local ice cream shop. Sweet dreams is the heartening product of women helping women gain prosperity, independence and confidence on both a personal and business scale.

Filed Under: Openings Tagged With: ,

An Innovative New Wine Book: Scratch and Sniff

October 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Your book idea might seem far-fetched, but put the right team together and it will be a sure thing. Richard Betts did just that when he and Crystal English Sacca dreamed up The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert, one night over wine, of course.

Filed Under: Openings, Uncategorized

Don’t Stop Shopping: Clothing Retailers Continue Trend of Food in Store

October 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

As we wrote earlier this week, clothing retailers are continuing to see opportunities in offering food and beverage in store. Why have them leave if they get hungry, or need a shot of espresso? Grub Street reports today on Saks Fifth Avenue, a store that’s always done well with the ladies who lunch, opening a chainlet, and Brooks Brothers’ entering the field with a preppy beef haven.

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings, Shopbuzz Tagged With: , ,

Urban Outfitters Opens Coffee Bar Today, More Planned

October 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Urban Outfitters opens a coffee bar in its Fifth Avenue store today, working with specialty coffee roaster Kickapoo in a stylish setup.

UO has opened a few food outlets in its stores in the past few years, and plans to do so in the next NYC opening this winter. Their Philadelphia headquarters even opens to the public.

Filed Under: Local Market Buzz, Openings, Shopbuzz Tagged With: , ,

Crumbs Opening Gluten Free Outpost in Village

October 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Just when you thought the cupcake craze might be dying down, Crumbs puts a new spin on things to urge the competition forward.

Today, Crumbs open an entirely gluten free shop in Greenwich Village, at 37 E. 8th St., between University and Broadway, featuring the same cupcakes, cookies, brownies and pastries that the brand is known for in gluten-free versions, all baked in a peanut-free and gluten-free facility.

Filed Under: Openings, Shopbuzz
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