By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
KES, the women’s clothing store at 463 Amsterdam (between 82nd and 83rd Streets), will close its doors on January 31st. “I want to take a pause and reimagine my relationship with fashion,” said owner and designer Lia Kes in a conversation with WSR. “It is time for a change of direction, I need time for myself.” Kes opened the store on Amsterdam Avenue in 2014 and another store in Soho last year (which will also close on January 31st). The focus of her pieces was “day to night, casual to dressy, with a specialty in silk slip dresses,” Kes said. “I worked with biodegradable materials such as silk, cotton, linen and cashmere, and turned them into luxury.” Kes also sold her line to larger stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Intermix.
“I can’t say thank you enough to the Upper West Side for the support. Being here has been an amazing experience. I loved spending time in the store and meeting clients. Upper West Siders really appreciated our clothing,” Kes said. She will be hosting a cocktail party open to the public on January 26th from 4 to 7pm. “It will be a celebration, I want things to end on a positive note. I feel very fortunate,” she said. Items in the store are now on sale (between 30% and 80% off).
A Chipotle is planning to open “sometime this year” at the corner of 97th Street and Broadway, according to a spokesperson from the company. The large retail space at 2575 Broadway, which is more than 14,000 square feet, used to be a Walgreens and is going to “be split in half,” writes tipster Aviva, who spoke with a worker there. The south side is expected to become a medical facility and the north side will be a Chipotle. While the Chipotle spokesperson did not have more details to share at this point, the new Mexican restaurant would be the chain’s fourth location on the Upper West Side.
El Fish Marisqueria is opening on the corner of 67th Street and Amsterdam on February 2nd. It is the latest venture from chef/owner Julian Medina and restaurateur Louis Skibar, both of Toloache Restaurant Group. For the menu, Chef Medina drew inspiration from the fish and farmers’ markets in Mexico’s fishing capital, Ensenada (marisqueria means seafood restaurant). “We chose the Upper West Side because we felt that it is a great neighborhood with loyal customers who appreciate Mexican food as much as we do,” said Chef Medina in a statement to WSR. “It’s a lively area with so much culture, so we’re excited to be a part of the community.” A previous iteration of the restaurant was called “El Fish Shack” and opened in Astoria as a New England-themed pop-up seafood restaurant. (Thanks to Lese for the tip.)
The FedEx location at 221 West 72nd Street near Broadway has reopened after being temporarily closed for repairs due to a water main break in the residential building above it, a FedEx representative told WSR. (Thanks to Loraine for the tip.)
7th Street Burger, the NYC-based burger chain, opened a new location on Amsterdam between 80th and 81st Streets. Oaxaca Taqueria was formerly in the space. 7th Street Burger serves “classic American smash-burgers for takeout and delivery,” including cheeseburgers and Impossible burgers. There are five other locations in Manhattan (the original one is on East 7th Street). “They truly have the best vegan burger in New York City!” writes tipster Amy.
A Spectrum phone, internet and cable store is opening in the vacancy left by TD Bank on Broadway between 109th and 110th Streets. (Thanks to Alex for the tip.)
What happened to the Panera that you reporter would open on Broadway and 85th?
They were still in the process of gutting that space when the future opening was announced. It is still being worked on, as far as I have seen in recent weeks.
Other than the illustration on the construction plywood (now taken down), has there been any kind of announcement that Panera is coming to that corner? I haven’t seen anything and nothing is listed on the Panera website. There is nothing now on the site to suggest that Panera, or anything else in particular, is signed up to move in.
Or are people jumping to the conclusion only because the landlord unfortunately used a real name, instead of the usual “Bob and Sally’s”, in illustrating the “space for rent” on the plywood?
I have chatted with some of the construction workers, and they said as much. The tenant is listed on the “traded” website, which is widely use in the commercial real estate world (https://traded.co/property/new-york/leased/2333-broadway). The sale and future occupancy is also shown in official documents from Meridian Retail Leasing, which is leasing the space to Panera (https://www.nycretailleasing.com/retail-leasings/2333-broadway/, click “Download Setup”, which links to https://www.nycretailleasing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2333-Broadway_Meridian-Setup_V8.pdf).
It seems like most of the new restaurant openings are on Amsterdam. What happened to Broadway
Broadway store front rents have always been much more expensive than Amsterdam Avenue.
Chipotle! YES!
Does anyone know if/when Kossar’s Bagels is opening on W. 72nd?
I pass by there every morning and haven’t see any sign of construction. It seems like it’s been a long time since Pier 72 closed. I hope Kossar’s opens soon!
I recently spoke to a resident of the building where Kossar’s will be moving into. In her opinion, they will open some time over the summer “at the earliest.” Apparently the space needs a tremendous amount of renovations.
I’m disappointed that El Fish Shack which I’ve been excited about for the 2 years it has been redoing the space, will now be the fancier Marisqueria. I was looking forward to lobster rolls and casual food.
El Fish is the sign in the window, not Marisqueria. I, too, have been looking forward to margaritas and lobster rolls for 2 years. Excited for Feb 2!
Really hope the Spectrum people and the other tenants of that one-story building start to take better care of the sidewalk area there. It’s a disgrace. Trash-strewn, and the tree wells are empty dirt pits filled with excrement. It should be the building owner’s responsibility, but I guess it’s not. But you’d think CVS and Spectrum would care how their businesses look to customers.
Re: “The south side is expected to become a medical facility and the north side will be a Chipotle.”
That’s GREAT ! ‘Cause once the effects of eating ‘speecy-spicey’ Buritto-Bowls kicks in, you’ll be able to get medical help right next-door (or next-store, as some say).
Ahhh, “all IS for the best in this best of all possible worlds !*
*Doctor Pangloss in “Candide”, originally by Voltaire but made MUCH better by Leonard Bernstein’s 1956 operetta, revived in 1974, and again in 1997.
WTH is a “smashburger”? Sounds Newspeak, faddish, & dreadful, like “grab” a meal.
Good comment! I hate that phrase too.
Almost as bad: “I think I’ll DO a bagel
with lox spread.” Ordering is now “DO”!
Of course, worst of all is the ubiquitous, idiotic “No problem!” in lieu of the proper and gracious “You’re welcome!”
In fact, I trace the beginning of the decline in civility to the use of that noxious phrase.
“Ma’am, your baby just fell on the subway tracks and I rescued him! Here he is!
“No problem!”
7th Street Burger is astonishingly delicious!!! They are the best impossible burger I’ve ever had! It’s great they cater to carnivores and vegetarians alike. They will do great with the bar crowd because they are delicious and reasonably priced. The menu is so simple just fries and burgers. I always pay a dollar for an extra side of their yummy house sauce. I love this place!!! Always a crowd now at night people are catching on. Very excited to have them here.
I always thought that space on 97th and Broadway could have been a fantastic gym space. This neighborhood is in need of a spacious and affordable gym.
True, but we had one down the block at the Paris. It still sits empty. I pass it every day.
I am a Moe’s Southwest Grill fanatic. I’m not sure if they use less sodium than Chipotle but it doesn’t taste as salty to me. Oh yes, almost forgot free chips & salsa! The key is to keep the restaurants clean and have friendly service. All the Chipotle’s on the UWS need to be washed with bleach.
re: Spectrum – wow another phone store – just what the UWS needs