Good morning. Are you ready for the weekend? We certainly are!
The food industry seems to be responding to New York’s pickup culture. Starbucks is downsizing locations from Venti to Grande and IHOP is flipping to a grab-and-go concept. Let’s hope that means landlords stop “holding out for a Starbucks” — and get renting those empty storefronts! More here…
Yesterday, we reported on the arrest of a man at the Skyline Hotel for the assault of an Asian man on W43rd Street. This is the third Asian hate crime in the area in 6 weeks — and the third that has ended up with a homeless person arrested. We continue to emphasize that this is a crisis created by New York City not delivering services to those with severe mental illness.
We also shared Vilma Kari’s interview with ABC’s Nightline. Vilma said that she had prayed for the man who viciously attacked her on a Hell’s Kitchen street at the end of March.
What we’ve been reading
Little Island opens today — and apparently, you should check out the bathrooms! (Tribeca Citizen)
Star chef Daniel Boulud shares his optimism for New York. (Eyewitness News)
NYC Taxi business picks up as Uber and Lyft prices rise. (NY1)
Google is opening its first retail store in Chelsea this summer. (6sqft)
Durst properties (including VIA, Helena, Frank and One Bryant Park) say keep your mask on. (Crain’s)
Freeze Frame
What’s going on with Taylor Schilling in this Hell’s Kitchen kitchen? This W51st Street brownstone is home to a zombie-creating, fictional strain of COVID-19 in The Bite. It premieres tonight…
P.S. The cast of this drama was regularly seen with Kahve coffee from down the block — not a Starbucks in sight!