By Lisa Kava and Julie Ornedo
Boucherie Upper West Side, a French brasserie, is opening on November 6th at 444 Columbus Avenue (between West 81st and West 82nd streets). This will be the third NYC location for the brand, joining others in the West Village and Union Square. The brasserie also has locations in Chicago, Washington D.C. and Miami.
“The menu showcases Boucherie’s celebrated French classics alongside seasonal specialties with an emphasis on premium ingredients and traditional techniques,” a press release stated. It includes dishes such as steak frites, French onion soup, fromage plates, seafood dishes, lobster bisque, and boeuf bourguignon. “Our restaurants have always been places where people can gather, celebrate, and enjoy the timeless traditions of French dining,” a spokesperson wrote in the press release. “We are thrilled to bring Boucherie to the Upper West Side, a neighborhood known for its rich culture, strong sense of community, and great food.”
Hours during opening weekend, November 6th through 8th, are 5 p.m. to midnight. After that, hours will be Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight; and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to midnight. The restaurant is located in the adjacent spaces — now combined — that were previously occupied by The Milling Room, which closed in 2025, and Starbucks, which closed the same year.
Garcia Hardware & Household, a longtime neighborhood hardware shop, at 995 Columbus Avenue (at West 109th Street), has closed. The hardware shop was family-owned and had been in business for over 30 years. Yelp reviews praised the “knowledgeable, helpful and bilingual staff.” In addition to selling hardware and household items, the shop provided key duplication and locksmithing services. The telephone number has been disconnected.
A sushi restaurant is expected to open at 1884 Broadway (between West 62nd and West 63rd streets) in January 2027, according to information shared at a recent Manhattan Community Board 7 meeting. The operator, Jake Poznak, said the restaurant will have a hand-roll bar that faces out onto Broadway so customers can people-watch as they eat. Poznan also founded Moonrise Izakaya, the Japanese gastrobar on Amsterdam Avenue that closed in 2022. We will update when we have more information. The New York Look, a clothing store that closed after 33 years in 2016, was previously in the space.
Teso Mini, an Asian convenience store, is closing its location at 2764 Broadway (between West 106th and West 107th streets), on November 30th. The store is offering 10% off all items until closing day. The store first opened in April 2025 and offered Asian candy, snacks, beverages, beauty products, and household goods. Teso Group, the store’s parent company, was founded in 2017 as “a lifestyle retail company dedicated to bringing Asian products to the United States” and operates over 30 stores nationwide and 16 others in New York City. (Thanks to David for the tip.)
The 97 Marketplace, a deli, is opening on November 9th at 2581 Broadway (at West 97th Street). The store will be open 24 hours a day and offer everything from grocery items to late-night bites. “We are an amenity to the neighborhood, we want to be there for last-minute shopping,” owner Wally Alkandi told West Side Rag. The space was occupied by Texas Rotisserie & Grill for three decades before it closed in March, citing significant financial pressures. (Thanks to Donal, Jac, and Nina for the tips.)
Grab & Go Market, a convenience store, opened last week at 2748 Broadway (between West 105th and West 106th streets). The store offers a wide variety of snacks and drinks. Casa Hardware & Locksmith Inc., also known as Broadway Hardware & Locksmith), which closed in June 2025, was previously in the space. (Thanks to Pepper for the tip.)
ICYMI:
Wegmans, a grocery store, will open at 1932 Broadway (between West 64th and West 65th streets), although the timeline is unclear. Signage first went up in June 2024, but the supermarket chain only recently confirmed plans to open an Upper West Side location. Read West Side Rag’s coverage of this news here.
McDonald’s, the fast food chain, closed its location at 2726 Broadway (between West 104th and West 105th streets), on October 31st. Signage on the front door stated that the location was shutting down permanently. Read West Side Rag’s coverage of this news here.
The Openings & Closings column wouldn’t be possible without our many tipsters: thank you! Anyone can send tips about openings and closings in the neighborhood to info@westsiderag.com.
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Happy to see the Texas Rotisserie space occupied, but really curious how they plan to sustain their business on the same block as 24/7 West Side Market and across the street from the new Upside Deli which is also 24 hours.
I saw that Boar’s Head sign a few days ago and just hung my head — another deli.
West Side Market is a much more full-service supermarket and quite expensive. I don’t think I’d run in there to grab a pop. They’re not really in competition.
The other deli…well, I guess we’ll see! There are plenty of parts of Manhattan where there is a deli every block, albeit less stodgy ones than the UWS.
Surprised the Teso couldn’t make a go of it. Maybe they needed to be a bit closer to Columbia?
Teso likely closed because Hashi Market, a Japanese grocery store, opened up a block away. Hashi basically has everything Teso does, and more of it.
No, sadly that’s not the issue. The issue is the insane amount of theft that repeatedly takes place there. The bad eggs ruin everything for everyone.
There used to be a Korean deli block after block on the UWS; bodegas used to be more commonplace.
I think either:
A. It’s really easy to open a convenience store; anyone can do it. No special knowledge or skill is needed AND
B. No market research is done whatsoever to determine demand, nearby competition, etc. (or “market research” is a foreign concept) OR
C. Some of these convenience stores are actually money-laundering fronts.
What’s your evidence for C. ?
This is well known problem, Cash flows through and is cleaned.
There are many reports of this type of activity.
Also other type of fraud including
New York City delis are frequently used by bad actors as front operations for illicit financial networks and benefits fraud.
Yes money-laundering does come to mind.
There are tons of small “convenience” stores opening all over, some just yards away from grocery stores or similar “convenience stores”
Totally agree on C. Once upon a time, there was a corner bodega here and there on the UWS that served a function for the neighborhood. Over the past 20 years or so, the number has skyrocketed and they are almost always empty. There doesn’t seem to be any legal way all of these stores, in such close proximity to each other and so empty, could possibly afford the rents that have caused other stores to close.
Actually, this is the 5th Boucherie in their NYC restaurant family: Union Square, West Village, Petite Boucherie (also in the West Village), La Grande Boucherie (in Midtown on 53rd), and now the UWS.
Grand Boucherie is fantastic.
HI David,, We thought so too and checked with Boucherie’s spokesperson for clarification. She told us “Upper West Side will be the third Boucherie location in NYC joining West Village and Union Square. La Grand Boucherie ( midtown) and Petite Boucherie are both different parts of the brand.”
Oh DDL Foodshow! We hardly knew ye!
(a different “Eric”)
I have fond memories of the DDL Foodshow…talk about ahead of its time. 44 years ago (?) we bought our Christmas Eve takeout dinner there. It was an experience.
I predict a short life for Boucherie on the UWS in that location. Prices and location. I’m rarely wrong about the sustainability of restaurants in the neighborhood.
Ugh, so many closings in the W 100’s. Please help!
similar to how we didnt need a dispensary on every block, do we really need 24 hour grab and go shops on every block too? that seems to be the only thing opening up here lately. it cant possibly be sustainable, and having a revolving door of businesses that open and close every other year does little for the neighborhood…
That area desperately needs a bagel shop. Tal (90th), Broadway (101st), and Absolute’s replacement (110th).
There’s a new awning and sign on Broadway/94th corner: “94 Bagel & Deli”.
The Teso store was a puzzle. There’s an H-Mart not far away, and Hashi Market only a block north. Who was their target market? But also that block is a blight, plus it now has the kiss of death: a sidewalk shed.
The Grab & Go next to Mama’s Too might be hoping to piggyback on people waiting for pizza, but there’s big deli across the street (Six Corners). Frankly, it looks like another sketchy drug front.
I stopped by Teso Mini a few times, but the selection was, well, mini. I would end up at HMart or going to their larger stores because the Mini didn’t have what I needed. It’s a pity since Teso is markedly cheaper than HMart or Hashi.
I went into Teso a few times and just couldn’t figure it out honestly. Hashi though is great love them.
Wow those dinner prices at Boucherie are expensive relative to other French restaurants in the neighborhood!
Yes, it’s good but really very expensive!
Spoke to an employee at Tesco. He said one of the drivers was theft.
I went in there maybe a dozen times, and was usually the only customer in the store. I don’t think shoplifting was their biggest problem.
Thank you!! I love your newsletter and am so grateful for it. The “openings and closings” are invaluable. You provide us with a sense of community.
Is there any way to find out when on Earth Riverside Park will open those gates that have been up since March? This is the stretch as you enter 96th Street to about 92nd Street.
The only ‘road’ that is open is a danger with TOO many dogs, joggers, bikers, people walking, kids coming out of the Hippo playground. We need that other path. It’s been repaved and looks ready.
The Milling Room was such a beautiful space. Curious to see what’s being done with it. Grand Boucherie in midtown is aesthetically pleasing even though the food and service are just ok.
As for 97 Market Place it sets off as number of alarm bells in my head.
They are spending a large amount of money in an over 100-year-old wooden former Beer Garaden building. It makes no biz sense to open it 2 doors down from WestSide Market.
On a number of fronts, it will be interesting to see what they sell
Happy to hear there are no new weed shops opening