Empire State Building Launches Pop-Up Snack Program
By Celia Young July 30, 2021 2:03 pm
reprints
The Empire State Building’s view just got a little sweeter.
Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) is launching a pop-up program for food vendors to rotate in the building’s observatory, starting with Long Island’s own My Cookie Dealer next month.
“We are pleased to add pop-ups at the world’s most famous building to celebrate 90 years with our visitors,” Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Empire State Building Observatory, said in a statement. “We will bring the authentic tastes of New York to our new $165 million ‘Observatory Experience’ with unmatched 360-degree, open-air views where calories don’t count.”
The cookie company will move into the 80th floor observatory on Aug. 5 and remain there throughout the month, according to a press release from ESRT. The observatory will feature a new business every four to six weeks.
The cookie stand — which boasts $5, half-pound Empire State Building-themed treats — will be open Thursday to Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The program will run through the end of this year, according to a representative from the landlord.
The new and tasty addition to the iconic New York City building comes after the coronavirus pandemic hurt ESRT’s bottom line. Attendance at the observatory fell 91 percent in 2020 compared with the previous year. While the landlord posted strong leasing activity in the fourth quarter of 2020, it saw a nearly 98 percent drop in net income compared with 2019, according to its fourth-quarter earnings report.
The landmark building lifted COVID-19 protocols for guests at the observatory — making masks optional for visitors — on June 16. It also fully reopened the interactive exhibits and elements, including the 86th floor observatory viewfinders, according to a press release from the landlord. But masks are now required at the observatory, said a representative from the landlord.
Celia Young can be reached at cyoung@commercialobserver.com.
