Not Too Many Restaurants, Says Ice Cream Parlor Mgr.
By Taylor Owen
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Look out, Fifth Avenue in Park Slope and Smith Street in Boerum Hill! Business at the northern end of Henry Street, north of the Brooklyn Heights Cinema, is going strong thanks to an influx of new restaurants, says the owner of the restaurant Oven.
The area has seen a proliferation of new food establishments recently starting with The Blue Pig ice cream parlor, which opened a year and a half ago.
Chris Fehlinger, owner and manager of Oven, which occupies one of three storefronts at 60 Henry St., says the area is “the most vibrant I’ve seen it in 10 years.” Based on his success, Fehlinger already wants to expand Oven before the five-year lease runs out.
Fehlinger credits the success of his restaurant, and the overall improvement of the area, to this end of Henry Street becoming something of “a destination” and the increase in the number of young couples.
Two restaurants, Henry’s End and Noodle Pudding, have been successful there for several years, and they were joined in the past year by the French bistro, Le Petit Marché.
“Any time more restaurants open, the better,” Fehlinger says, “Always, when one opens, then another, then the area becomes a destination.”
Javier Gonzalez, the manager of Busy Chef, also at 60 Henry, sees a similar trend. “Yeah, people know about the options here. They are in a rush and don’t want to wait. Having a lot of restaurants helps that.”
When asked if his business is benefiting directly from the growth, “recent business is so good; very good. Especially at night.”
Busy Chef opened almost five months ago, and has been extremely successful. It plans to augment its after-hours business by hiring a band for night gigs.
The Blue Pig, the aforementioned ice cream parlor, is also feeling a boost. “Business is really picking up,” says Keith Adams, the store manager.
Adams says the restaurant businesses is “really helping the Brooklyn Heights area.” When asked if there might be too many restaurants at this point he said, “I won’t say too many — there’s just enough.”
Some venues still need to find their niche. Alex from Uncommon Grounds, a coffeehouse on the corner of Cranberry and Henry streets, says that while “it’s mostly true” that the area is getting better, not everyone has struck gold.
“Uncommon Grounds hasn’t found its identity, some kinks are being worked out,” he said. Uncommon Grounds, which gained popularity with nighttime music shows, is undergoing renovations and switching to an after-work wine bar.
Noodle Pudding has been feeding the neighborhood for 12 years and was a fixture in the Heights even before the new restaurants came to town.
Pierro from Noodle Pudding agrees that recent business “has been better.” But he thinks it is all “because of the new chef.”
“Overall, the area hasn’t changed much in the past few years, but I’d like to see another bodega by the [now closed] BBQ place.”
© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2007
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