Private Dining Club Flyfish Club Heading to 141 Houston Street
By Mark Hallum November 21, 2022 3:57 pm
reprints
The Flyfish Club, a private dining club that sold memberships through non-fungible tokens, has reeled in an 11,000-square-foot deal for three levels at 141 East Houston Street, the New York Post first reported.
The club — founded by VCR Group’s David Rodolitz, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk and chefs Josh Capon and Conor Hanlon — signed a 10-year lease with an option to extend as private dining clubs have become more common in New York City.
Asking rent at the Lower East Side building was $225 per square foot on the ground floor and $85 per square foot on the other levels, according to brokers Ripco Real Estate. The 68,000-square-foot office building is owned by East End Capital, Grandview Partners and KPG Funds.
“In the past, memberships have been more widely recognized as a golf, tennis or social club,” RIPCO’s Richard Skulnik, who represented both the landlord and tenant with Lindsay Zegans, said in a statement. “The adoption of membership based dining experiences is a step forward for hospitality groups. What we will be seeing from Flyfish Club is even more forward thinking and will be impressive when finished.”
The joint venture that developed the property, once the historic Sunshine Cinema, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Flyfish Club isn’t asking for a straightforward transaction, however, with memberships being purchased through NFTs bought and sold with a 10 percent fee on Opensea.io, according to the New York Post.
The fee itself is where the club draws its capital and has pulled in $14 million, the Post reported.
The club is expected to open near the end of 2023.
Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.
