Amusing the Zillion

Coney Island 2016: Pizza Hut Express Signs Lease on Coney Island’s Surf Ave

January 11, 2016 by Tricia

Franchise Restaurant Row in progress on Coney Island’s Surf Avenue: Checkers, Pizza Hut, Red Mango, Johnny Rockets, Applebee’s, IHOP , and more to come. Photo © Tricia Vita

The year is young but ATZ already has exclusive news of the first lease of 2016 on Coney Island’s franchise restaurant row, the north side of Surf Avenue. Broker Joe Vitacco says, “On Friday we signed a lease, for the 1,900 square foot space at 1223 Surf Avenue, with franchisee Nafees Bukhara. Nafees owns the Popeye’s on Surf Avenue and will be opening a Pizza Hut Express.”

Bukhara will also open a Red Mango franchise, for which he bought the rights from Rahman Hashimi, the Johnny Rockets franchisee, as well as a pretzel franchise. The Pizza Hut Express will be on the ground floor to the right of the 6,000 square foot Johnny Rockets, in a building that has been under stop-and-go construction since a lease deal was signed three years ago.

“You ask why we don’t do Mom and Pops,” Vitacco said last year, in an ongoing conversation that began with ATZ’s 2012 post “Will Coney Island’s Surf Ave Become a Mecca for Franchises?” He says that Mom and Pops wouldn’t be able to afford this, referring to the extraordinary delays and ballooning costs due to city and MTA red tape.

Unlike Manhattan, where Mom and Pops are being forced out by landlords who triple the rent and then turn around and lease to chains or upscale businesses, the new franchises on Coney Island’s Surf Avenue are replacing vacant lots or illegal furniture stores which have existed for years in defiance of the zoning.

Until the early 1980’s the north side of Surf was home to individually-owned penny arcades and a variety of rides including bumper cars, carousels and even a Jumbo Jet-style coaster. By the time the last ride– Coney Island’s B & B Carousell — closed in 2005, the north side was known as the wrong side of Surf Avenue to locate a business because of the lack of foot traffic. Now it is a mix of franchises and a few Mom & Pops like the Red Doors Bar & Grill and Luna Park Cafe.

Construction in progress on Surf Avenue building for Johnny Rockets and Pizza Hut Express. Photo © Tricia Vita

NYU Heralds Circus Now 2016 with Window Exhibit of Ringling Costumes

January 11, 2016 by Tricia

Window Exhibit Featuring Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Costumes at NYU Skirball. January 9, 2016. Photo © Tricia Vita

Thirteen windows at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts are resplendent with costumes designed for Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The work of three acclaimed costume designers and NYU graduates is featured: Gregg Barnes (Tony Award, Follies, The Drowsy Chaperone), Susan Hilferty (Tony Award, Wicked), and Eduardo Sicangco (Broadway Bares, The Harlem Nutcracker). The displays also feature circus memorabilia, photographs, and historical info. Located at 566 LaGuardia Place and around the corner on West 3rd Street, the window exhibit debuted during the holidays and is on view through January 18.

The costume exhibit heralds this week’s performances at NYU Skirball by six international circus companies. Circus Now 2016 will feature Acrobatic Conundrum (Seattle), Oktobre (France), Barely Methodical Troupe (U.K), Andréane Leclerc (Canada), Water on Mars (Sweden), and Aloft Circus Arts (Chicago). Performances are January 14, 15 and 16 at 8 pm. Tickets range from $39 – $50. Visit www.nyuskirball.org for additional info.

Window Exhibit Featuring Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Costumes at NYU Skirball. January 9, 2016. Photo © Tricia Vita

Photo of the Day: Santa at Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge by Barry Yanowitz

January 8, 2016 by Tricia

New Years Day Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge

Brooklyn photographer Barry Yanowitz grew up in Coney Island and comes home every January 1st to photograph the colorful characters at the Polar Bear Plunge. “It’s the perfect way to begin the year,” he says. You can see more of Barry’s photos from his New Year’s Day set on his website.

If you missed Santa and the New Year’s Day Plunge, you can join the Coney Island Polar Bear Club as a guest at their Sunday swims between November and April. This Sunday, the forecast is a balmy 58 degrees! Just show up at the Bears “Clubhouse” at the Aquarium’s Education Hall on the Boardwalk at West 8th Street by 12:30 pm with your bathing suit, a towel, surf boots or an extra pair of sneakers, and some warm clothing.