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BROTHER JIMMY’S CLOSES SUDDENLY

June 15, 2015 | 10:22 PM
in FOOD, NEWS, OPEN/CLOSED
39

brother jimmy5

Brother Jimmy’s, the bar and restaurant on Amsterdam between 80th and 81st streets, closed suddenly on Sunday.

The bar was expected to move into the old Ditch Plains space on 82nd street just off of Columbus Avenue, but Fusha is opening a Hibachi restaurant there instead. A tipster and former regular at the bar said the closure was a surprise to employees too. An employee at another Brother Jimmy’s location confirmed the closure, but didn’t have information on why it closed.

Brother Jimmy’s served American food with a Southern influence. Kids ate free and there were kid-friendly skeeball games near the entrance.

Photo by Colleen.

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39 Comments
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Ed
Ed
10 years ago

Seriously? First Dallas BBQ and now Brother’s Jimmy’s? What is happening to the UWS? Where is a boy to get his smoked brisket sandwich and collard greens. Not to mention really big drinks with rubber alligators in them. I like Dinosaur BBQ but not the short walk like the aforementioned places. On the bright side I’m sure my arteries are thrilled at the news!

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S. Louie
S. Louie
10 years ago
Reply to  Ed

Considering there is an awakening about cruelty and abuse in industrialized farming…Not to mention the biological reasons not eating a lot of meat…I would say people are a bit more aware today and have more video evidence of this abuse. UWS folk are also not swarming BRGR or the Meatball place on 81st either. Usually it’s those from out of town..or newcomers from small towns who haven’t gotten the memo yet. Most likely their New York City friends will show them a video and make them aware that Vermont products are better treated and produced…etc. They eventually will “get it” after awhile..and be disgusted like the rest of us.

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2
2
10 years ago
Reply to  S. Louie

There are a lot of ridiculous comments on here but this is, by far, the most ludicrous.

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Jeff
Jeff
10 years ago
Reply to  S. Louie

S. Louie – You obviously haven’t even been to the Meatball Shop or BRGR, because both restaurants prominently promote their use of humanely raised meats. Moreover, the Meatball Shop is, contrary to your statement, always swarmed with diners and usually has a line outside.

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Michael McNamara
Michael McNamara
10 years ago
Reply to  S. Louie

With all due respect, I highly doubt these places are going out of business because of some people’s moral qualms about eating meat.

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Cara
Cara
10 years ago

Given this is a successful restaurant in the cty, sounds like a untenable rent increase to me. So Brah J will just takes its business elsewhere.

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Cato
Cato
10 years ago
Reply to  Cara

I give up — who’s “Brah J”?

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2 Handicap
2 Handicap
10 years ago
Reply to  Cato

Brother Jimmy’s

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AC
AC
10 years ago

The 20 year lease expired and the proposed rent was to high. Similar fate as Silk Road Palace.

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95 in Shade
95 in Shade
10 years ago

Just noticed the long-running Longgrain (ex Lemongrass) restaurant at Broadway & 95th (across street from Symphony Space) has closed. ¨Store for Rent”

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C D
C D
10 years ago
Reply to  95 in Shade

Longgrain moved around to Amsterdam because of rent hike as well… it didn’t totally close.

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Amsty
Amsty
10 years ago
Reply to  95 in Shade

Longgrain is now in the AsiaKan space on Amsterdam between 94-95, You’d think they’d put up a sign letting people know!

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WombatNYC
WombatNYC
10 years ago
Reply to  95 in Shade

Longgrain will not be missed. I felt dirty sticky even walking in the place. It wa a tired , dirty hybrid mash of asian cuisine.

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Paul RL
Paul RL
10 years ago
Reply to  WombatNYC

Wombat, I don’t disagree with you but sadly I’d rather have a lousy restaurant than none at all.

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Paul RL
Paul RL
10 years ago
Reply to  95 in Shade

Oh, crap. Nothing sadder than having to throw away menus from dead restaurants. That was one of our staples. I hope another restaurant takes its place.

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Bruce Bernstein
Bruce Bernstein
10 years ago
Reply to  95 in Shade

sigh

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Bob
Bob
10 years ago

sad

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West88
West88
10 years ago

I think this is a sign of neighborhood growth. The frat bar scene – although one I regular partook in years back – has outgrown the vibe of the hood. It’s exciting to see the influx of downtown-like spots land on the UWS – Parm, Meatball shop, Joe’s , Jacob’s Pickles, E’s Bar – replacing the college scene. Excited to see what replaces Brother Jimmy’s.

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Jeremy
Jeremy
10 years ago
Reply to  West88

Very well put.

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Miguel
Miguel
10 years ago

I had to hear through the grape vine that Brother Jimmy’s has officially closed their doors in the UWS without any prior notice to anyone! Shame on you Brother Jimmy’s corporate! This was a very respectable family orientated restaurant where children, families and friends would gather for great BBQ in the neighborhood. We didn’t even have the chance to say our goodbyes to all the great staff that worked there! I hope you have the decency to provide your employees opportunities to work in your other restaurants. As an Upper West Sider, I’m very disappointed on how you decided just to close your doors without any notice to your staff or the community that supported you for over 17 years. And to the comment of frat boy, really? E’s or Joes is not trying to fill the same frat boy scene, please!?

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ST
ST
10 years ago

Nice! One less smelly frat boy bar in the neighborhood…several more to go! *cough* Gin Mill* cough cough

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Bryan10024
Bryan10024
10 years ago
Reply to  ST

@ST Your younger self is shaking his head at what he’s become. Just selfish to only want places that match you current age. Can’t wait to see what you’ll want closed with you’re in your 80’s. 🙁

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ST
ST
10 years ago
Reply to  Bryan10024

@bryan10024. Yeah, I’m 30. Not sure what that really has to do with my age anyways, just not a fan of those kind of places. Not seeing how that’s selfish….everyone has a personal preference. It’s amazing the assumptions you deduced about me from reading one line of text.

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Dave
Dave
10 years ago
Reply to  ST

Yeah,and with candlebar closing ,one less smelly gay bay..woo hoo!!!!

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Eddie
Eddie
10 years ago
Reply to  ST

I agree that Brother Jimmy’s drew a frat boy crowd at night, but for lunch and early dinner, it was a staple for many families in the neighborhood, particularly since kids eat free. I hated fighting through the crowds of drunk 24 year olds spilling onto the sidewalk on Saturday nights as much as everyone else, but in the case of Brother Jimmy’s (unlike some of the other bars in the neighborhood), I was willing to trade that for the pleasure it brought my kids and many other kids. It will be missed, particularly when it is sitting empty a year from now.

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Jose Habib
Jose Habib
10 years ago
Reply to  Eddie

hear, hear

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Bruce Bernstein
Bruce Bernstein
10 years ago

we had an interesting discussion thread here the other day about why the landlords are leaving so many commercial storefronts empty, for many months or even years, even on prime sites such as Broadway.

the answer given was that the building valuation is based on the cash flow that can be realized from the building: potential cash flow. often “two birds in the bush” are worth more to the landlords than “a bird in the hand.” the empty storefront can potentially attract an A-list tenant (a chain of some sort) and this raises the valuation. a b-list tenant who is producing reliable rent lowers the valuation.

in this case, the balance sheet and the profit/loss statement are at odds with one another. the “bird in the hand” is good for the profit/loss but “two birds in the bush” is better for the balance sheet, and a potential sale of the building.

imho, this logical contradiction is a sign of an asset bubble.

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robert
robert
10 years ago
Reply to  Bruce Bernstein

Lest us not also remember the law pasted few years ago that rezoned the store front width max. Just like the UES where it was tried before this area, the stores are now to small to rent out and have the store be able to stay in biz. That’s the real reason so many store fronts are not being filled. Look at the former sterling on 99/100 & B’way, Blockbuster at 94/93 and on down B’way

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Cato
Cato
10 years ago
Reply to  Bruce Bernstein

Perhaps the City (going through the State, which has to approve any local taxes I believe) could impose a “vacancy” tax on storefronts left empty after a certain time (six months)?

The goal would be to encourage business development, not to punish for gambling on valuation as Bruce well describes it.

There’s been much talk of commercial rent control. Maybe a workable alternative would be to make vacancy less valuable to the owner so that the one bird in hand *would be* worth more than the two in the bush.

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bruce Bernstein
bruce Bernstein
10 years ago
Reply to  Cato

Cato: interesting idea. worth more discussion.

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Chuck D
Chuck D
10 years ago
Reply to  Bruce Bernstein

Thanks for that explanation. That makes a more sense than the answer we got before that “crazy people own these buildings.” It’s what happens when finance runs the company. Having a building sit empty because it is more valuable on a spreadsheet than profitable in the real world, despite the fact that it lowers the obvious value of the building to everyone else, is a classic example of some bean counter running a company into the ground. The bubble will pop!

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uwsider
uwsider
10 years ago
Reply to  Bruce Bernstein

interesting, thanks for this explanation. I have often wondered about the storefronts that have been empty for literally years – like several on broadway. Such a shame for the neighborhood. And maybe short sighted. Because the more interesting restaurants and shops move in (see, for example, Brooklyn!) the more desirable the neighborhood as a place to live and perhaps that might bring valuations up as well. I still don’t get how these people can carry the building costs for years with no rent though. Incredible.

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Bruce Bernstein
Bruce Bernstein
10 years ago
Reply to  uwsider

i think the answer to “how they can carry the cost” is that in a large building, the commercial storefronts will be a relatively small portion of the cash flow.

maybe this weekend i’ll take a walk up and down Bway to see if the empty storefronts are in large or smaller buildings.

the related point made was that if the landlord can wait to bring in a national chain, even if the rent is no higher, it will increase the valuation. chain tenants are valued higher, even at similar rent. which is discrimination against the small businesses, when you think about it.

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Nelson
Nelson
10 years ago

Fewer frat boys…and fewer strollers? Win, win.

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anon
anon
10 years ago
Reply to  Nelson

seriously. Frat boys might even be less annoying than entitled UWS parents who too-often allow their bratty and spoiled offspring to take over sidewalks, restaurants and stores. I won’t miss this place or any of the crowds it drew at all.

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Chicago
Chicago
10 years ago

I can’t believe this, another great place on the UWS gone. The fact the community was not notified in advance to celebrate with the staff together blows my mind. Executive management needs to understand that places that last in NYC neighborhoods do matter and have a significant impact on people and their families. Hopefully the displaced workers will get jobs soon, there was wonderful friendly staff that worked at this location.

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Jane
Jane
10 years ago

Empty storefronts signify another truth: landlords do not care about neighborhoods. They care only about their “cash flow,” as has been explained. They care only about their own profitability. The loss of neighborhood stability, the loss of others’ jobs, the depression caused by seeing empty space after empty space — all this means nothing to the greedheads.

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ap
ap
10 years ago

there was a sign on the door this morning that says they are remodeling and requests patrons to visit another one of their locations? Was this sign on the door previously? Perhaps they didn’t get the bigger space they were hoping for on 82nd street so they decided to just remodel the current location?

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miguel
miguel
10 years ago
Reply to  ap

yes I saw the same sign, it doesn’t make any sense since they told all their employees they are closing down this location! What is really going on?

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Reply

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