By Scott Etkin
Maman, the French café that makes some of Oprah’s favorite cookies, is adding a second UWS location on Columbus between 66th and 67th. Maman’s first café opened in Soho in 2014 and it now has a dozen locations in the city, including one that opened last fall on Amsterdam between 80th and 81st. Tipster Mindi writes that the new Maman is in the space that used to be a MAC cosmetics store. (Thanks also to Nancy for the tip.)
More details to share about the Just Food For Dogs that’s coming to 70th and Broadway: The location will make all their pet food on site using human grade, whole food ingredients. Richard Wold, SVP of Retail Operations & Development, who used to live in NYC, said the location will also feature a “bodega-style deli counter” where people can create custom orders for their lucky dogs. Nutritional experts will also be on hand to offer guidance to pet parents who are curious about the healthiest choices – “we’re doing everything we can to give you the opportunity to have as many years as you can [with your dog],” he said. Just Food For Dogs has a partnership with Petco and their products are available at the Petco on 92nd and Broadway. After considering a few other neighborhoods, including Williamsburg and Upper East Side, Wold sought out Lincoln Center for where “we should plant our flag” in the city. He said to expect the opening around June.
Orange Theory, the high-intensity interval training fitness studio, is opening a new location on 92nd Street between Columbus and Central Park West. The studio is offering a reduced rate for “Founding Members,” those who join before the official opening on March 24. Each group class consists of treadmill, rowing machine and strength exercises. Orange Theory already has a location on 72nd Street between Amsterdam and Columbus and members will be able to go to either location.
A new restaurant, Taco Tavern, is coming soon to the Northwest corner of Amsterdam and 83rd Street. It should open in about two weeks, said Jennifer, a manager there. They will have a bottomless brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as outdoor seating on Amsterdam and along the side of 83rd Street (menu available here). Last spring signage for Barnacho, the Tex-Mex restaurant that has a location on the East Side, went up on the location, which replaced J.G. Melon.
J’s Cleaners, the dry cleaning, laundry and tailoring service, is now open in the Apthorp building on Broadway between 78th and 79th Street. J’s has been in NYC for 30 years and has another UWS location at 70th and Broadway. When customers open an account, they’ll receive 30% off everything except wash and fold for the first 30 days.
Gong Cha, the bubble tea franchise, is now open on Broadway between 71st and 72nd Street. Founded in 2006 in Taiwan, Gong Cha has more than 1,500 locations across 15 countries. The menu has many drink varieties including milk foam, milk tea, “slush,” tea latte and coffee.
A bodega called Jack’s Convenience store is coming to Broadway between 108th and 109th. It will sell organic snacks, cigarettes, craft beer, vaporizers and CBD products.
Curious how many homeless individuals will sleep on the sidewalk in front of the gourmet dog food place.
Nope, your average Upper West Sider isn’t out of touch at all.
So your self-proclaimed “truth and reason” is that people on the UWS can’t upgrade the quality of the food they feed their pets because homeless people exist in New York City?
Interesting take.
With a preponderance of our neighbors in need of food, it is rather odd to feed our animals better than we feed the neediest of our community. It’s something of note. Not to mention, our best pets in the world did just fine on medium-grade kibble!
you people are insufferable.
who’s to say we can’t buy premium dog food AND still help our neighbors in need? I mean I literally donate $ every month to help homeless, and if I want to spend extra money for healthy food for my dogs— that’s a bad thing?
Agreed. I donate to several charities regularly, including those that feed the homeless and before Covid, I volunteered at a Project Find location in midtown. And, my two rescue dogs eat well. Life is not a zero sum game. Also, isn’t a rented store better than a vacant one? And presumably, they will be adding jobs the neighborhood.
I’d like to know what the people who have a problem with the store are going to help the homeless? Are they feeding them? How do they spend their “disposable income”? Expensive dinners? Second homes? Expansive gym memberships? Private schools? So, that’s okay but spending maybe $50-$10 a week feeding your dog or dogs is a crime against humanity?
Absolutely. It’s a disgrace.
gourmet dog food… discretionary income is a funny thing
Does anyone know what is coming to SW corner 85th & Broadway, was Victorias Secret ? A very large space being readied, maybe a supermarket?
That. Would. Be. AWESOME. I sense, alas, that wont be happening. I am very happy that a dry cleaning business is opening. Too many have closed.
A curious reader discovers that, among Gong Cha’s, many tea varieties is “Oolong”.
Which sparks a memory that, in a previous and non-PC era, there was a radio (YES, radio!) commercial asking, “How long since you’ve had Oolong…too long?”
And further time-wasting “research” reveals that, in the really-dark-ages (1920) there was the VERY-un-PC song “So long, Oolong, How Long You Gonna Be Gone?” by a performer appropriately-named Frank Crumit !
The area between 75th and 100th Streets is a wasteland as far as restaurants. I’m tired of seeing all the new restaurants opening in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Let’s get moving with new places to eat in my neighborhood.
Agreed! And supermarkets as well. What is it about this little pocket on the Upper West Side that makes food people want to avoid it?
May I ask what you mean by ‘supermarket’? The UWS between 72nd and 100th has 2 Trader Joes, a Whole Foods, at least one Key Food, 3 West Side Markets, Barzini’s, 2 Gristedes if I’m not mistaken, and an H-Mart. What are we missing??
2 Key Foods,Pioneer,Associated and others too.But we each want our favorite one within 2 blocks of where we live LOL.
A friggin’ gourmet dog food store? It’s embarrassing. There are so many vacant storefronts where people used to be able to shop for themselves. Now CB7 says we have to have a Gourmet Dog Food store. Why not cat food? Or gerbil food?
“Now CB7 says we have to have a Gourmet Dog Food store”
Huh?
The community board forced the neighborhood to have this store?
I think it’s a ridiculous concept too but I hope they do well and pay rent on an otherwise vacant storefront
Why can’t we have both? Plenty of open storefronts around that need any business inside! Whatever brings decent life back to the streets is good.
It is humiliating. We welcome a gourmet dog food store but run the homeless shelter out on a rail.
Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.
Unfortunately, they know exactly what they do.
Personally I’m delighted to welcome Just Food For Dogs to the neighborhood. I’ve bought their dog food at Petco for years and think it’s an excellent choice, with many options including vet support foods. I’m glad it’s not an empty storefront. BTW, I donate to many causes so all my discretionary income is not “going to the dogs” even though my dog is part of my family. Let’s be kind to each other and appreciate individual differences of what’s important and celebrate companies that want to invest in our community.
I’m so disappointed about Jack’s Convenience. There was mention here a few months back of a Greek bakery opening up there. We already have two stores that sell this same garbage (in my opinion) on the north east side of Broadway between 108/109 and the south west side between 107/108 and many more on Amsterdam. We certainly don’t need a third!!! What a shame.
I used J cleaners for the first time. The turn around time was great. The tailoring was fantastic and my shirts were like new. Use them people.
It boggles the mind as to how misinformed this neighborhood seems to be about the homeless issues.
Do you know how much money ($Billions of tax dollars) have been allocated to homeless resources including food availability? Many on this chain are lumping in the mentally ill, drug addicted homeless who would rather panhandle for alcohol and drug money, then go shoot up at a city sponsored safehouse. Get real. WHAT homeless are we not supporting by opening a retail shop for dog food? Can we please stop generalizing just to support a narrative.
I don’t have a dog but this sounds like a lovely addition to the neighborhood. Good luck!
Enough with the complaints already.
Whether we, as individuals, are interested in buying bubble tea, gourmet dog food, or CBD products, it’s still nice to see more openings than closings on streets that have been all too retail-barren these past couple of years.