7-Eleven Plans to Come Again—and Again—to New York
By Laura Kusisto January 19, 2011 5:44 pm
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900 Second Avenue
These days the last thing the city needs is more slush. But the arrival of several new 7-Elevens promises to bring that and many other dubious delights to the borough.
The store that offers convenience and not much more will open on the corner of East 48th Street and Second Avenue, across from the United Nations. This is the fourth in a string of franchises, two of which recently opened in Murray Hill and two more that are set to open soon. “7-Eleven offers a great selection of fresh, high-quality products at an everyday fair price,” said the press release, “along with speedy transactions in a friendly shopping environment.”
But even typically poker-faced Crain’s can’t hide a whiff of panic about the invasion of stale nachos and slushies: “7-Eleven launches major assault on Manhattan,” said its headline.
The store has managed to nab a prime location, with 2,350 square feet of ground-floor space featuring 10-foot ceiling heights and 41 feet of frontage on Second Avenue and an additional 21 feet of frontage on East 48th Street.
In the meantime, light a candle for the neighborhood bodega. “There are more attractive locations available now than there were in the past, and this is due to the recession,” Margaret Chabris, a public-relations director for the 83-year-old chain, told Crain’s. “A lot of small businesses are having a tough time growing, or some of them aren’t able to renew leases.”
Joshua Roth of ZE Realty and Scott Edlitz represented the tenant.
lkusisto@observer.com
