GROCERY GAME: The Trader Joe's Sign Goes Up On Columbus Avenue

It's been a tedious wait for the Trader Joe's on Columbus Avenue to open, and while it hasn't happened yet, we are getting close. This week, we saw the sign being affixed above the future store's entrance at Columbus Avenue and 93rd Street, which means the official opening (still listed as "coming soon" on the chain's website) can't be too far away. A look through the store's large, uncovered windows tells us that the check-out registers are hooked up, and the shelves appear are ready to be stocked. Anyone who has had to experience the winding check-out line of the cramped, multi-level Trader Joe's at 72nd and Broadway will appreciate a second unit on the Upper West Side to alleviate the teeming crowds at busy shopping times —or perhaps there will just be more teeming crowds. At least they will be more convenient for us here at Shophound HQ.  The new store will also add a relatively affordable food store for the West 90s neighborhood which, despite Whole Foods and Westside Market branches within a few blocks, has only a Gristedes and a tiny Associated to serve as traditional supermarkets. We are projecting an opening within the next few weeks, if not sooner.

COMING SOON: Trader Joe's Next NYC Store Will Come With 2-Buck Chuck

At this point, a new Trader Joe's is not as unique an event as it used to be, unless it is but a couple of blocks away, as the upcoming Columbus Avenue unit is from Shophound HQ. As we regularly pass breathlessly by the site to gauge progress, we noticed through the recently uncovered front windows that they are starting to install fixtures and registers to the store, suggesting that an opening may be only weeks away. We don't have a firm date yet, but the store at the corner of 93rd Street is listed as 'opening soon' on TJ's website, along with the more unusual news that it will include not just beer but also wine and spirits in its assortment. This will be only the second Trader Joe's liquor store in New York City where it has been notoriously difficult for the chain to navigate the licensing requirements to sell alcohol. Interestingly it will be just down the street from the only Whole Foods around that has a separate liquor store. This may signal fewer obstacles in the future for both chains in adding alcohol to their stores as the Trader Joe's slated for later this year on Spring Street in SoHo is also listed as selling wines and spirits. Perhaps the stores are being more aggressive in achieving their full presentations because, though it's taking a while, and it's going to be all the way in Brooklyn, there's one store on the way that will give both chains a run for their money: Wegmans. Get ready for a grocery way where all New Yorkers might turn out to be the winners.

RUMOR CONFIRMED: Trader Joe's Is Officially Coming to 93rd & Columbus

As was widely rumored a few months ago, hyper-popular grocery chain Trader Joe's has been confirmed by DNAinfo to be opening a new branch in 12,000 square feet on the ground floor and lower level of 670 Columbus Avenue on the corner of 93rd Street, a new retail space that has been waiting for quite some time to be filled. This will be TJ's second Upper West Side location after a branch at 72nd and Broadway that, like all the other locations in the city (and perhaps, the world?) is perpetually plagued with long lines of customers snaking throughout the store. Hopefully, this new branch will help to alleviate that overcrowding, but not importantly, it is only a few blocks from Shophound HQ which means that we will no longer have to go on the subway when it's time to replenish our stock of 19¢ bananas and frozen packages of ready-to-stir-fry vegetables. (insert delirious cheering here)
The new store is expected to be open early next year, and its main competition will be a Whole Foods at 97th and Columbus. If other neighborhoods in the city are feeling neglected, there's hope for them as the chain continues to look for suitable space in New York. Another location is reported to be opening in a former Food Emporium space in Kips Bay this Summer, and more rumors point toward a possible second East 14th Street store to be located between Avenues A and B.
So far, the Upper East Side has not been tapped, though it is likely to be high on the chain's list of neighborhoods for potential locations. For now we will just be counting down the days until our own neighborhood location opens its doors.

Another Trader Joe's Coming to the Upper West Side (DNAinfo)

GROCERY RUMOR DU JOUR: Is Trader Joe's Coming To 93rd & Columbus?

There is little news that will circulate faster than a Trader Joe's rumor.
Today's tidbit first appeared in The Real Deal telling us that the intensely popular grocery chain is just about ready to take 20,ooo square feet of brand new, virgin retail space at 670 Columbus Avenue between 92nd and 93rd Streets (pictured above) for its fourth Manhattan store it would be the chain's second on the Upper West Side, but as anyone who has shopped at the location at Broadway and 72nd Street, there can never be too many Trader Joe's in New York. That particular store, like the other two Manhattan branches, is known to start generating endlessly long checkout lines shortly after midday which not only take up shoppers time with waiting, but also make it increasingly difficult to navigate the store as the day goes on. Another store 20 blocks or so north would not only alleviate pressure on that store, but also make up for the loss of two other markets in the area, the generally gross Food City that once lived in a freestanding building at 94th and Columbus and a Food Emporium that closed last year at 91st and Broadway. It would also compete with a Whole Foods at 97th and Columbus, and make The Shophound gleefully dance around our apartment because we would be located exactly in between both stores.
Of course, we will hold off on the dancing until the deal is signed and done, because we also remember that the same site was once rumored to be the home of a future Bed, Bath & Beyond which also caused us moments of anticipatory joy but never materialized. Instead a Party City eventually appeared and took over 12,000 square feet of space underground at the recently constructed addition to 100 West 93rd Street, eliciting somewhat less glee from The Shophound. As New Yorkers have learned in the past decade, you could probably have ten times the number of Trader Joe's in the city as there are right now and it still wouldn't be enough, but every new one counts, and pretty much everyone on the Upper West Side is waiting with bated breath to see if this one will really follow through on the rumors. Stay tuned.

Trader Joe’s close to finalizing deal for new UWS store (TheRealDeal)

UNDERGROUND SHOPPING: The Columbus Circle Subway Station's Upcoming Retail Tenants Are More Chelsea Market Than MTA

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The Columbus Circle subway station has been under renovation for so long that we almost forgot that it was supposed to have shops lining the block-long underground walkway that spans Eighth Avenue from underneath the Hearst Building south of 57th Street to Time Warner Center at 58th. Today, however a list of the carefully curated tenants was released that reveals the elaborate plan to take advantage of the  90,000 people who pass through the 14,750 square foot space every day.
To be called Turnstyle, (see renderings above) the shopping complex will  include a mix of food and fashion retailers staring with a food court with seating on the southern side slated to include Ignazio’s Pizza, Gelato Ti Amo, MeltKraft grilled cheese, Bosie Tea Parlor, Ellary’s Greens organic café and an unnamed cupcake shop meant to replace Magnolia Bakery which pulled out of a proposed store. Live music will also be added to the mix according to Susan Fine, the developer of the concourse who revealed the plans to the Observer. On the north end, another grab 'n go food section will bring  Dylan’s Candy Bar, Georgia’s Café and Bakery, The Nut Box, Fika espresso bar,Just Falafel street food and By Suzette crepes. Connecting the food will be an "impulse buy" section expected to include Blossom Du Jour vegan fast-food, Spectre & Co. men’s accessories, Studio Manhattan handbags and accessories, Lush handmade bath products, Arth hats, Specs New York eyewear and Kit’s Underground Wine and Spirits. A lease is reportedly out for a Papyrus card shop as well.
Given the upscale improvements in the neighborhood such as The Shops at Columbus Circle and the highly anticipated Nordstrom flagship at 57th Street and Broadway with its vast luxury tower above, developers made a special effort to avoid the typical newsstand/candy store/shoe repair combination typically found in midtown subway stations. Of course, there is always the chance that no matter how affluent the commuters, sometimes all they really want or need is a newsstand, a candy shop and, most importantly, a shoe repair when they are coming and going from work. It is hoped that new stores will be opening by the end of the year, and then we will see if the Columbus Circle retail arrangement will become a template for other large subway stations throughout the city.

Slate of Hot Retailers Headed Below Ground at Columbus Circle (Commercial Observer)

FOOD FEST: Suburban Grocery Palace Wegmans Coming To Brooklyn Navy Yard

The past 20 years have brought a bonanza of grocery shopping to New York City where we once complained of having the worst grocery stores anywhere. Cramped, expensive and low in selection, New York City's grocery stores were notoriously sub-par, and city-dwellers with access to a car would regularly brag about driving to New Jersey or Long Island for real grocery shopping, but then Whole Foods arrived in Chelsea in the late 90s. Shoppers clamored to it like it was an oasis in the desert. After a few years, it had opened some of its largest stores in the chain in Manhattan, and it continues to look for suitable locations in the city. Then Trader Joe's arrived, now with five city locations, and Fairway started expanding throughout the city with stores much more efficiently designed that its still problematic original Upper West Side store. Grocery shopping is still too expensive in New York City, but at least the stores have improved in quality and size. Still, there was one holdout that suburban shoppers spoke of with reverence: Wegmans (pictured above). Often rated as the best grocery store in America, Wegman's, known for its reasonable prices and broad selection, stretches throughout the Northeast all the way down to Northern Virginia, but has bypassed the city until now. Yesterday the chain announced its first New York City store to open in 2017 as part of the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Navy Yard (rendering pictured below). Chosen in part because of its promise to prioritize hiring in the surrounding neighborhood, Wegmans emphasis on prepared foods also requires a expanded staff ensuring even more local jobs to be available. Though the 74,000 square foot store will be about 25% smaller than the average Wegman's location, and the smallest in the chain, it will still be larger than the sizable Fairway in Red Hook or the Whole Foods in Gowanus which is also quite large. We all have a couple of years to prepare, but we can already picture the crowds including Manhattanites caravanning to Brooklyn to get to Legman's. Start your shopping lists now.

Wegmans to Open at Brooklyn Navy Yard (NYTimes)

MORE MARKETS: Brooklyn Fare To Add A Second Manhattan Store

It's possible that you might not have noticed that the celebrated food market and exclusive restaurant Brooklyn Fare has been operating a Manhattan location on West 37th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues. it is not a well traveled location, and that location's promised restaurant —the real draw— has yet to materialize. That makes it a fancy market in a neighborhood that might not have gotten fancy enough yet to properly support it. That shouldn't be a problem at Brooklyn Fare's next reported location. The Observer tells us that the market will take over the D'Agostino in The Archive at 666 Greenwich Street in the West Village (above). There's no opening date projected for when it will open in the 12,000 square foot space, but this time, it should have no problem attracting attention in a prominent location in an established, tony neighborhood. The real draw here, however, will be another potential restaurant. There's no shortage of fancy food stores in Manhattan, and there might be some serious complaints that the neighborhood will be losing a much needed basic supermarket. D'Agostino reportedly lost the lease through a Hurricane Sandy related paperwork misfortune that was resolved in court, so the replacement is not without some controversy.
What distinguishes the original Brooklyn Fare at the corner of Hoyt and Schermerhorn in Brooklyn is the 18-seat, Michelin Starred Chef's Table restaurant, which only books six weeks in advance exclusively for parties of two or four. The prix-fixe menu is $225 plus tax and a 20% service fee, so such a restaurant should be right at home in the West Village. Otherwise, the retail store is a very nice gourmet market, but not terribly different from many that are already operating all over Manhattan. One might even hope that a larger restaurant than the limited Brooklyn version could be in the works, but so far there has been no official word at all of just what is planned for the new location, so we will have to stay tuned for more definitive news.

Brooklyn Fare Opening Second Manhattan Location (Commercial Observer)

THE MYSTERIES OF PARIS: Can Paris' Colette Save McDonalds?

A look from the upcoming collaboration between McDonald's and Colette

Sometimes the French are inscrutable.
We all love a high-low collaboration, but most of us would draw the line when it comes to fast food. Not so for the famed Colette concept boutique in Paris. The store is teaming up with the international burger chain for a collection of clothing and accessories featuring graphic designs that were featured on a McDonald's campaign last year in by TBWA Paris. The pictograms of signature McDonald's fare like a Big Mac or French Fries are so abstracted that you might not even recognize what they are or connect them with the chain, but then there's that telltale red, yellow and white color scheme that sends us right into a line to order a serving of large fries while hoping we don't run into anyone we know.
As a fashion authority, Colette has been known to possess the ability to confer coolness upon brands that are either unknown or may have been overlooked in the past. It is the first stop for entrepreneurs looking to relaunch a revamped heritage designer brand, and retail buyers visiting Paris from around the world are still known to take notes on the store's offerings to add excitement to their own stores back home.
But will Colette be able to work its magic on McDonald's, whose business has been on a stubbornly downward trend recently as casual diners seem to have finally given up on its pedestrian burgers and even its French Fries no matter how reliably tasty they may still be. Perhaps this is an example of differing brand perception from continent to continent. While McDonalds may be seen by some as mundane and greasy here in the States, in Paris, the brand seems to be able to muster up at least enough irony or camp to be embraced by the fashion avatars at Colette. will it be enough to add sum luster to McDonald's currently dingy reputation? It's too early to tell. The line will not go on sale until May 4 through the end of the month. Americans will have their chance to order them from the store's website, but without the opportunity to add on an order of Fries —and we al know that they are the best part.

Colette Adds McDonald’s to Fashion Menu (WWD)

FOOTWEAR FLASH: Look For New York's First TOMS Store To Be Mostly Coffee Bar

It looks like the long awaited TOMS store on Elizabeth street is finally about to open any day now, after a bewilderingly long construction period for a modestly sized store. If you are expecting an endless array of the label's signature eyewear and casual shoes, however, then think again. The folks at Bowery Boogie got a peek inside, and discovered that the store will be more of a coffee bar than anything. The 1,000 square foot store is the brand's third in the U.S., and will be following the template of the others in promoting the band's responsibly produced coffee products. Sure, there will be shoes and glasses featuring the famous Toms one for one policy that donates one one shoe or eyeglass frame for each pair sold, but beverages are expected to be the focal point. The equally charitable coffee business supports clean water effort in 70 countries around the world.
Look for an opening by the weekend at 262 Elizabeth Street.

Charity-Minded Shoe Company Toms Opens a Cafe in Soho This Week (Bowery Boogie)
Previously:
Is The First TOMS Store In New York Almost Ready To Open?

CAVALCADE of CONDIMENTS: The Maille Mustard Boutique On Columbus Avenue Is Selling Out

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When we heard that the famous French Dijon mustard brand Maille had opened a mustard boutique on Columbus Avenue a couple of weeks ago, we though it was in interesting marketing idea for a pop-up, but wondered whether or not it was a sustainable long-term concept to devote prime real retail estate to selling a single condiment, especially one that is available in most supermarkets for around $4 a jar.
Well, It turns out that customers had no such misgivings. They saw the store, said, "Yum! Mustard!" and started buying.
We stopped in a few days after it opened and saw an elegant little shop with shelves filled with all sorts of flavored mustards in single jars and packaged into pricey gift sets along with an assortment of olive oils and vinegars —so really, more than just one condiment, the shop does offer all of the ingredients for a very expensive vinaigrette. With a tasting bar, all sorts of mustard accessories and refills on tap, the store is patterned more after a perfumery than any kind of food store. And customers are literally eating it up.
We stopped into the shop yesterday, and noticed a distinct sparseness on the shelves compared to just a week or so earlier. Many of the gift sets were completely sold out even at $40 to $60 for three or four half-sized 3.8 oz. jars, but where else are you going to find yummy flavors like bleu cheese, morel mushrooms or walnuts and white wine to name a few. Sound weird? They are not. They are indeed yummy and tempting, especially the black truffle mustard on tap, but, as one learns over time, sometimes what looks tasty on the gourmet counter gathers dust once it makes it into one's own kitchen. Or maybe it's just overkill for a turkey sandwich.
So, after visiting the mustard store, The Shophound walked a block across town to pick up some bananas at Trader Joe's and discovered a delightful new item, the "Mustard Miscellany" package of four 7 oz. jars of Dijon mustard —imported from France— featuring intriguing flavors like black currant, chablis, Provençal, and basil for a mere $6.99. No, there wasn't any bleu cheese or black truffle, and possibly our palate is not so refined as to be able to discern the difference between fancy French mustard and somewhat less fancy French mustard, but, you know, $6.99.
In a pinch, it'll do pretty damn well.

Maille New York 185 Columbus Avenue at 68th Street, Upper West Side