ESRT Tosses Chopt Into Retail Mix at Empire State Building
By Terence Cullen October 10, 2016 10:00 am
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Customizable salad joint Chopt has inked a deal for a new retail space at the Empire State Building, Commercial Observer has learned. The fast-casual restaurant is joining a roster of new spots to eat at the recently renovated skyscraper.
Chopt is taking 2,789 square feet of ground-floor space on the West 33rd Street side of the building, which has an official address of 350 Fifth Avenue, according to a press release provided by landlord Empire State Realty Trust to CO.
“Chopt will be located on the 33rd Street portion of the property, featuring food and services dedicated to our ‘Urban Campus Within a Building’ for our tenants at the Empire State Building, and also the neighborhood,” Thomas Durels, ESRT’s head of leasing, said in prepared remarks.
Durels said in the release that there are now seven in-building restaurants at the Art Deco skyscraper between West 33rd and West 34th Streets. That includes the STATE Grill and Bar, which is also on the street level of the building.
Asking rent in the deal was $185 per square foot, per an ESRT spokeswoman, who declined to provide the length of the lease.
Craig Hantgan of Esquire Properties represented Chopt, while Fred Posniak and Shanae Ursini of ESRT represented the landlord in-house.
The real estate investment trust has been amenitizing the 85-year-old tower, which has become home to established technology companies including professional networking website LinkedIn, travel adviser Expedia and photo storage company Shutterstock.
That included bringing three Starbucks at the 2.8-million-square-foot landmark, one of which exclusively delivers drinks to tenants throughout the building, as CO reported in March 2015.
