While 2020 was not a great year for business in general, we did see quite a few restaurant and store openings.
Whether you’re a fan of the places on our list or not, these were undoubtedly the “biggest” openings – meaning the most heavily anticipated and frequently talked about, and they caused the biggest reactions, whether positive or negative.
Krispy Kreme opened in November at 2563 Broadway, between 96th and 97th Streets. The announcement of the donut queen’s planned expansion first came at the beginning of the year, and at least a large chunk of our readers were excited.
Target finally opened its Columbus Circle store at 1863 Broadway, between 61st and 62nd Streets, in October. The new store location was originally announced in late 2018 and expected to open in 2019, with many false alarms along the way. There were a huge number of Upper West Siders happy about the new Target, and also a huge number of people who were unhappy about the continued corporate expansion of certain parts of the neighborhood.
Effy’s Cafe makes our list for its unexpected resurrection. The kosher restaurant originally closed its UWS location in May, and at the time the owner stated it was for good. But in November, the owner reached out to ILTUWS to tell us he was back in business at 104 West 96th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues.
Pastrami Queen opened at 138 West 72nd Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues, in early December. Replacing former long-time tenant Fine & Schapiro, this announcement was met with a lot of excitement, though quite a few people scoffed at the menu prices.
When we announced the October opening of Manny’s Bistro at 225 Columbus Avenue, between 70th and 71st Streets, it came as a relief to those who were still mourning the loss of Bistro Cassis, which closed earlier this year at the same address. Manny Colon was the manager of Bistro Cassis, and when the rumors that he’d be taking over the space to build something new turned out to be true, many were elated.
What were you most excited to see open this year? Let us know in the comments below!
The BAYLANDER STEEL BEACH in West Harlem was the most exciting new opening especially during a pandemic. For a few hours, a beautiful sunset and a few drinks, allowed my friends and I a pre-Covid NYC experience!