Saigon Grill has closed, a fact that will make some people very happy and others very sad, or at least moderately sad. The Vietnamese restaurant had a strong following, but also a long history of labor problems. A recent closure (and then 2 re-closures) for health violations may have been the final nail in the coffin.
The restaurant at 90th street and Amsterdam had recently faced new labor complaints just two years after a judge awarded former delivery workers $4.6 million. As the New York Times reported in January: “A restaurant workers’ union filed a complaint with federal authorities last month accusing the new owners of harassing and firing workers who protested age discrimination and expressed support for joining a union.”
To read a mixed appreciation of Saigon Grill, click here. For a different opinion, here’s the Boycott Saigon Grill site and here’s the Sweatshop Free site. To hear readers duke it out, read the comments section of our last post on the restaurant.
Thanks to our anonymous tipster for the photo below.
AND it now leaves a space big enough for — what do you say, an Olive Garden? TGI Friday’s?
Wait, wait: an Outback Steakhouse!
And probably still have enough left over for a Duane Reade, too!
Welcome to the New Upper West Mall!
NO… another bank because we need one in the neighborhood
I was longing for a TGI Fridays.
Good Enough To Eat should take over the space!
Yes! Great idea. I am hoping they find a new home on the UWS, this would be a perfect spot for them.
You guys could use another Coffee Bean to counteract that over-roased starbucks!
While we’re talking Chains that is…
The closing of the Saigon Grill will be a test of the new zoning regulation. The only thing certain is that it won’t be a small local business moving in. The new zoning was written to maintain retail density only. At best there would be four businesses located at the site unless some special conditions are met. Most likely a business of the same type so that new regulations won’t need be invoked. A smaller local restaurant needing to expand would be nice.
A bank could be a renter, but it would only be allowed a twenty five foot store front. At minimum there might be an ATM, but a large branch would be unlikely. Most of the branch would have to be on another floor or behind the other businesses fronting on Amsterdam Avenue. This scenario would force new zoning rules.
A supermarket could qualify for a large storefront of forty feet or more if it is large enough and has enough space devoted to produce. It will depend on the loopholes
in the zoning and variances granted. The site is probably too small.
There are just to many possible outcomes. Saigon Grill could sell the business transferring the lease to another owner. Whatever moves in someone will will not be happy.
Some interesting points, but a supermarket?? Supermarkets are obsolete — the Mercedes/BMW Bankers who now own the neighborhood don’t soil the bottoms of their Guccis with a trip to the supermarket. *Their* foie gras gets delivered directly to their combined condos by FreshDirect.
And the new zoning regulations? You’re about to see how meaningless *any* regulations are when confronted by the Rich and Powerful. If Citibank wants it, Citibank will get it, rest assured.
The problems of the UWS are numerous. Much of it started with the urban renewal projects of the 1950’s where a large portion of the UWS was resulting in public housing, Lincoln Center and Fordham University. Poor planning, bad government policies that persist until today and new policies based on political dogma have resulted in what we have today. The gentrification escalated by condoing and cooping of buildings, residents seeing ways of making large profits on sales to rich buyers changed the demographics. Big business and real estate developers saw the opportunities to make large profits.
The attempts at preservation and contextual zoning are poorly designed to deal with a supply and demand economy. The residents on the UWS are uninformed of the issues and do not care. The new retail zoning was implemented based on the flimsiest evidence that there are too may banks. There were no statistics presented as to how much space or store frontage banks occupied. People were told that the mom and pop stores would be saved.
We do not have planning based on community needs. What is the standard for how much retail space is needed to support the population of the UWS? Are thete enough people to support the local businesses? How many schools are needed? Is mass transit capable of handling the increases in population? The solutions are contextual zoning and landmark preservation to keep things looking the same. These are not solutions that will solve problems.
I’m glad that they are out of here. For owners who don’t treat their employees fairly and with respect, we don’t need them here on the UWS.
“I’m glad that they are out of here. For owners who don’t treat their employees fairly and with respect, we don’t need them here on the UWS.”
This summarizes the entire bleeding heart liberal agenda: destroying the village to save it. The new mall shops won’t be hiring Chinese speaking immigrants at all now after they bit the hand that fed them and with activist fervor killed the goose who wasn’t laying big enough golden eggs, evidently.
It will indeed be interesting to see what rises from the ashes. That property at Amsterdam and 90th has had a challenged recent history. At the height of the real estate boom developers built a multistory condo on top what was a prewar rental. The defects in the new construction have taken a seeming eternity to unravel and cure. It is only now after many years that the scaffolding and sidewalk shed are starting to be removed. The ground floor space is very large and certainly could house a large restaurant. There are many restaurants long that stretch of Amsterdam. If it is to be a restaurant, itt would be nice to see a locally owned one and not a chain or franchise.
How about some reaches out to (A) Good Enough to Eat to tell them about the location (B)Emerald Inn in case they would consider subdividing the space.
BOOM
HOW ABOUT A STARBUCKS? THERE IS NOT ONE FOR 2 BLOCKS AND IT WOULD BE A WELCOME CONVENIENCE.
HOW ABOUT A DUANE READE, SINCE THERE ARE 2 SMALL PHARMACIES WITHIN 4 BLOCKS OF THIS LOCATION THAT THEY CAN RUIN.
How many drug dealing convenience stores can fit in that space??
Does anyone know where I can get good Pho on the UWS now? It wasn’t great at Saigon Grill, but it was the only one I could find!
Pho? I think Duane Reade is adding it to their inventory. They already sell everything else. (So you’ll be *really* happy when this space goes to DR!)
THERE IS NOW A MARSHALL SEIZURE NOTICE ON THE DOOR OF THIS PLACE.NOT ONLY WERE THEY RIPPING OFF THE WORKERS,THEY WERE RIPPING OFF THE LANDLORD.
an ALDI supermarket would be nice