Once completed, Hudson Yards will be home to thousands of residents and even more office workers. But so far the surrounding area has little to offer in terms of restaurants and nightlife. Michael Fascitelli and Eric Birnbaum smell an opportunity.
The real estate investors, who formed Imperial Companies, are bringing a high-end restaurant to their 33-story rental tower Henry Hall at 509 West 38th Street. Dubbed Legacy Records, the restaurant will be run by Delicious Hospitality, the firm behind eateries Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones.
“The city is tilting west and south,” Fascitelli told Bloomberg. “Think about the opportunities for people who are now working there—and all the corporate entities packing the Javits Center. It’s a dramatically underserved area.”
But one observer wonders whether the timing is wrong. “Hudson Yards isn’t up and running yet; it’s still a construction zone. Five to 10 years from now, it will be a fantastic location,” Rudd Realty Management’s Frederick Rudd told Bloomberg. “Right now, the restaurant might be too far ahead of the curve. They need to create a buzz and hold on to it until the neighborhood catches up.”
The restaurant will span two floors and include an 85-seat dining room. The food will be “Mediterranean-influenced American.” [Bloomberg] — Konrad Putzier