Photo via Blue Bottle.
Blue Bottle Coffee opened today at 279 Amsterdam Avenue between 73rd and 74th Streets, the former home of Gina la Fornarina. The cafe is known for its close attention to where its coffees are sourced. Thanks to Gretchen for the tip.
Friedmans is now open at 130 West 72nd Street near Columbus Avenue, the former home of 72nd Street Bagel and (briefly) Milk & Honey. Friedman’s is essentially an all-day diner, with breakfast foods, entrees, burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. The restaurant has lots of gluten-free options too. See the full menu here. Thanks to Talya for the photos.
Design Within Reach is opening a new location at 2162 Broadway between West 77th and West 76th Streets, the former home of Sephora. The home furnishings and design store is expected to open in early 2019, the company said. The company’s previous UWS store closed in 2015.
The Bar Method, a barre studio at 2387 Broadway (87th), is in the midst of a “soft open” with plans to hold a grand opening the weekend of September 28-30. The studio offers workouts based on dance exercises.
Hair salon Tresses Belle Studio is planning to open today at 521 Columbus, with a grand opening from 5 pm to 9 pm, the owner tells us.
Bubble tea shop Gong Cha opened to long lines last weekend on Broadway between 108th and 109th. Learn more about their bubble tea here. Thanks to SpiritBear for the photo.
Blue Bottle is also know for being owned by Nestlés, owner of approximately 2,000 brands, and a major advertiser and promoter of baby formula, not breast feeding.
infant formula producers spent more thab $7 billion in marketing in 2015 – spending that exceeds the budget of authorities who encourage and support breastfeeding.
one ny times article is here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/business/dealbook/nestle-blue-bottle-coffee.html
just saying.
1. Their coffee rocks.
2. Blue bottle is still going to operate independently and the management retains over 30% of the company.
3. Infant formula is a modern miracle. If you want to breast feed, that’s great. If you can’t, formula is a lifesaver.
4. As you say, they have over 2000 brands, including Hershey/Cadbury, P&G, Dannon yogurt… are you going to think twice about buying those products too?
I do avoid their products. Nestle’s is an evil company with a CEO who feels that water should be a privately owned commodity dispensed by business. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyAzxmN2s0w. They own Perrier, San Pellegrino, Deer Park, Poland Spring, Ice Mountain and more, making billions siphoning off community supplies in regions that can be prone to drought or draining with impunity from the Great Lakes for next to nothing to sell back to us or to a poisoned city like Flint. https://www.cleanwateraction.org/2018/04/09/nestle-wins-and-our-great-lakes-lose. Some information on how they’ve taken advantage of breast feeding women is recounted here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyAzxmN2s0w
How appropriate, then, that they have the word “bottle” in their name.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/01/nestle-under-fire-for-marketing-claims-on-baby-milk-formulas
Good to know! Thanks
As I walk down Broadway, I’m amazed at how much and how quickly retail is changing. I live up near Columbia and the proliferation of Asian restaurants and stores like H Mart that cater to the large Chinese student population is striking. These seem to be the only businesses that have figured out the formula for success, aside from banks and drug stores. It’s interesting to see that Design Within Reach is going to give it another go, this time on Broadway. I’ll be curious to see how they fare in the new location.
I wish DWR success…at the same time, I worry that opening a store is yet another sign of our frothy financial markets.
Il Baretto, a neighborhood gem at 53rd and 11th, is closing on 9/26. For now, too shocked to take a photo of the announcement. What chain or high-rise next?
The new home of the $18 sandwich and $15 burger.
Whatever the sins of its majority (but not total) shareholder, Blue Bottle is quietly excellent. No attitude, just great coffee. It’s one of the few places I can get a straight up single origin espresso and not have it taste sour, and the beans are the best in my testing for playing barista at home. I welcome them heartily to the neighborhood.
Nothing is more delicious than a $14 tuna melt!
Nearly every specialty coffee shop, of which there are many on the UWS, pays close attention to where their beans are sourced from, not just Blue Bottle.
2 visits to Friedman’s- soups were terrific, mattoh ball outstanding. Breakfast was great, French toast was fluffy, yogurt, granola were great. Obviously very high end purveyors. Build out is lovely, service very professional. Love the outlets at the seats.