More Al Fresco Eating For Roosevelt Island Coming Soon - Gristedes Cafe Setting Up Bistro Tables And Chairs Outside Entrance Starting April 1
I heard earlier today that Roosevelt Island's new Gristedes Cafe
would be setting up outdoor seating.
I asked a Gristedes representative if that was true and received this reply:
Yes, we applied for a permit and it has just been approved. Starting April 1 and continuing through October, Gristedes will set up Bistro tables and chairs outside the entrance door to accommodate customers who may wish to enjoy their cafe purchases outdoors. It is our intention to provide a comfortable place to relax with a cup of coffee and pastry or eat a quick lunch. We hope that it will be well received.
Gristedes Cafe outdoor seating will be a welcome addition to Roosevelt Island, particularly for those living in Manhattan Park and the Octagon.
It may even encourage Southtown Riverwalk folks to make the trek north more often.
I hope the Gristedes Cafe keeps the soft pretzels replenished, they have been out for the last two days.
More on the Roosevelt Island Gristedes transformation
from previous post.
18 comments :
Can Gristedes also make their front entrance double as an exit while they're at it? It sort of defeats the purpose to have that whole new 'quick checkout cafe' thing right by their entrance if you cannot exit through the same door but have to go around.
Hola to mi amiga Judy!
I wonder if anyone will use the outdoor seating if it means sharing your meal with no legs lady.
Even if she were around, it doesn't mean you're sharing your meal with her. Disabled people have exactly the same rights to accommodations, restaurants, etc., as able-bodied people. If their looks bother you, that is your problem. Businesses must serve them just like anybody else.
As far as her panhandling is concerned, it is not aggressive even if it is distasteful. In New York City "peaceful panhandling alone is not illegal" although "beggars can ... be arrested if they become aggressive or block traffic" http://www.myfoxny.com/story/19529462/homelessness-and-panhandling-in-new-york-city.
And throughout the country, because of the rise of homelessness, the homeless and civil liberty groups are fighting back, filing lawsuits to overturn statutes banning panhandling, and winning many times. Here is a discussion of some of these cases that appeared last October in the Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/us/homeless-are-fighting-back-in-court-against-panhandling-bans.html?_r=0
I have never seen no legs lady aggressively panhandling. She is usually more than 20 feet away from the store entrance, leaving the shopper plenty of time to consider whether to give her some money or not. Although it is not the right thing to do, her peaceful panhandling is protected under NYC law.
I wouldn't be eating "al fresco" with all the construction work done in Manhattan Park plus it's the bus stop right there and the pigeons on top of you
Do you mean the resurfacing of the roadway? That was over months ago.
Construction work is going on all over the City at all times and it never stops outdoor cafes from operating.
The bus stop is a good thing because people getting off the bus will notice the cafe and on a nice day might decide to actually eat at the outdoor location rather than at home (which is duller).
The pigeons will certainly be a problem if they are somehow perching above the dining area. But I've never noticed pigeons perching above that stretch of the passageway. Do they? If so, Gristedes will have to mitigate that situation before they implement the outdoor cafe. If you mean there are pigeons walking around - possibly because of the proximity of the leafy park - I have no problem with pigeons or any kind of bird walking or flying by. Of course you must be aware that wild birds including pigeons are protected by law.
"might decide to actually eat at the outdoor location rather than at home (which is duller)" Duller than the prepared food offered at Gristede's? Not in my home!
I see what you are getting at, and to a certain extent I agree, but if the eating out is on Roosevelt Island, I'd much rather eat at home, both for the food and the atmosphere.
There are some cafes/places that are nice. Don't you like the Starbucks or the sushi place? I never went to PierNYC but it seemed nice. I guess you don't like Subway but I don' t mind it. Of course it has zero "atmosphere" and the food is basically mass-produced/industrial. It sounds like you're really dissatisfied with the dining options on RI.
Starbucks is the same as any other of the umpty-million Starbucks and I don't like their coffee anyway. I do like the Japanese restaurant, but we usually have sushi delivered, and eat it in comfort at home. I liked PierNYC, considering its built-in shortcomings -- very limited menu, no tap water,etc. I had a Subway sandwich once, many years ago. That was enough. Trellis is convenient and, in fact, I like their grilled cheese and bacon sandwich, but in general, it's very safe to say that I find the dining options on RI to be unsatisfactory and without foot traffic or innovative and expensive marketing, it's not going to change. Blackwell House is a nice site for a restaurant, but I understand that it has been promised to the historical society. That, of course, is a nice use, too.
I wonder if there ever will be a critical mass of foot traffic. You might think we would have destination restaurants because of the view - like at City Island. But I just don't see it happening anytime soon. I should try the Trellis grilled cheese/bacon sandwich one day. I agree - Blackwell House would have been nice repurposed as a restaurant but the historical society should be there.
In twenty years, once Cornell is well established, the island will be quite different, and, in my opinion, better, but it's not likely that I'll be around to see it.
I enjoy eating outdoors at the Japanese restaurant during the warm months, but the food offered at the Gristede's cafe is so unappealing that even a pleasant atmosphere would not be enough to make me eat it.
Maybe the health food store on Main St will have a cafe included. Just speculating here.
was told today that Gristedes is making the front door entrance into an exit as well.
Awesome!
The open air dining is dependent on the weather and whether the facility can maintain its letter A sanitary rating. Competition never hurts as it makes facilties work harder.
Gristedes outdoor cafe is just an outdoor extension of the indoor seating. There is no waiter service - it's just a convenient place to eat their food. Since it's within the passageway, diners could use the outdoor cafe in most weather giving it an advantage over other outdoor cafes such as Trellis. I'm sure Gristedes will be inspected regularly by the City - let's hope it can retain its A rating.
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