Mystery Chefs From India Bringing New Concept to Grand Central Plaza

A yet-to-be-revealed Indian cuisine concept featuring two yet-to-be-revealed celebrity chefs from India has taken a 17,000-square-foot space at Cohen Brothers Realty’s Grand Central Plaza at 622 Third Avenue.

Cohen Brothers Realty was represented by Newmark’s Adam Weinblatt, Jason Pruger and Jason Stein, along with Cohen Brothers’ own Marc Horowitz. Emilian Derguti of Capstone Properties NY represented the tenant. 

Asking rent on the 15-year lease is $88.24 per square foot. 

Amit Upadhyay, who operates 14 restaurant concepts across the U.S., including Farzi NYC at Tribeca’s 78 Leonard Street, is heading up this effort, which is expected to be a “one-of-a-kind complete Indian food experience,” according to Newmark.  

Beyond that, no details, including the identity of the two apparent celebrity chefs from India, are expected to be revealed until November.

Grand Central Plaza is a 39-story, Class A office tower of around 1 million square feet on the southwest corner of 40th Street and Third Avenue in Murray Hill. 

Tenants in the building include advertising company McCann Worldgroup, the staffing agency TemPositions and title insurance company Tower Abstract.

Cohen Brothers Realty bought the building from Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield (now known as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield), for which the building served as a longtime headquarters, for around $171 million in 1997. Cohen Brothers then spent around $80 million renovating and repositioning the building.  

UPDATE: This article was updated to reflect that the identities of the chefs remain unknown. 

Larry Getlen can be reached at lgetlen@commercialobserver.com.