High rents make restaurants get creative with space

New York City’s restaurant industry is becoming more competitive as retail rents have shot up over the past few years, forcing restaurants to be use their space creatively. More restaurants are using spaces above and below ground for seating and extra bars, a move that could decrease patronage if not done cautiously, according to head of retail at Prudential Douglas Elliman, Faith Hope Consolo. “It isn’t traditional for restaurants to seat people downstairs, so you have to create just the right environment to get them down there,” she said. Consolo brokered the lease for Shelly Fireman’s Trattoria La Tradizionale at 41 West 57th Street, which had a built-in mezzanine. Another consequence of rising rents is a boom in small-plate restaurants like wine bars and tapas-style restaurants that use less space.