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Posts Tagged ‘Coney Island’

Cat Photo of the Day: Pretty the Cat Visits the Thunderbolt

Posted in Animals, Photography, tagged cat, Coney Island on April 12, 2012| 3 Comments »

Pretty the Cat, Coney Island. April 1, 2012. Photo © me-myself-i/Tricia Vita via flickr

Pretty is the skittish companion of the friendly Target, the world-famous Coney Island Arcade cat. The precincts of the Thunderbolt are a favorite place for them to sit in the sun. The cats make their home in Manny’s carnival games across the Bowery from Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park.

Pretty is not to be confused with Tiger, a tortoiseshell who lives on the west end of the Bowery and was recently spotted in “An Eerie Tour Of Coney Island Before It Opens.”

Relocated Popeyes Set to Open Today in Coney Island

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Coney Island, Herman Popper, Popeyes Chicken, Popper Building, Surf Avenue on April 10, 2012| 3 Comments »

Popeyes new location in the Popper Building on Surf Avenue. March 30, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr

After serving its last supper on August 24, 2010 in its former location at Surf and Stillwell, Popeyes Chicken is reopening today at 1220 Surf Avenue. As previously reported in “Popeyes Chicken Returning to Coney Island’s Surf Avenue” (ATZ, October 17, 2011), the restaurant’s owner had been in business year-round in Coney Island for 27 years, first as Kennedy Fried Chicken and then as Popeyes, when he lost his lease in the now-demolished Henderson Building. The Thor Equities-owned site is now a vacant new building encased in plywood.

The popular fast-food restaurant’s new home is in the Popper Building, which has a distinctive old copper sign that says “Herman Popper & Bro.” Though it does not have landmark designation, the building as well as its original owner have a colorful history. Herman Popper was a whiskey distiller and wholesale liquor seller who once supplied most of the Bowery dives and concert halls. Though selling liquor on the Lord’s Day was then illegal, his business extended to Sundays on the orders of Coney’s notorious John “Boss” McKane.

Popeyes is the third relocated Coney Island eatery to open this week. On Easter Sunday, Cha Cha’s opened a bar/restaurant on Surf Avenue and Steve’s Grill House made a comeback on Stillwell Avenue after losing their leases on the City-owned Boardwalk last year.

Steve’s New Grill House Opens on Stillwell in Coney Island

Posted in Food & Drink, Redevelopment, tagged BK Festival, Coney Island, restaurant, Steve Bitetzakis, Steve's Grill House, Stillwell Avenue, Thor Equities on April 9, 2012| 2 Comments »

Steve's New Grill House at the BK Festival on Stillwell Avenue. April 8, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

On Easter Sunday, Steve Bitetzakis opened his new Grill House at the BK Festival on Stillwell Avenue next to Scream Zone. The menu is the same as his previous spot on the Boardwalk– hamburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, shish-ke-bab, chicken wings, french fries and knishes. Old friends and longtime customers were happy to see him back in business. The eatery is housed in a newly purchased concession trailer. The decorative flags, hand-painted signage and seating that gave the Boardwalk eatery a homey ambiance appear to be the next order of business.

Steve’s was among several food stands and trailers opening for Easter on Thor Equities’ Stillwell East lot leased to the BK Festival. On Memorial Day Weekend, rides and attractions are expected to fill the festival lot and it will be called “Steeplechase Amusement Park.”

Located on the Coney Island Boardwalk since 1993, Bitetzakis was one of the “Coney Island 8” evicted by Zamperla. In February he called off plans to have his modular building moved down Stillwell and instead sold it to Zamperla, which is remodeling it and the adjoining Beer Island to create their own beach bar on the Boardwalk.

Steve Bitetzakis, the owner of Steve’s Grill House on the Coney Island Boardwalk since 1993, with his son at their new location. April 8, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Steve’s family has a long history of operating food concessions in Coney Island. His father Gregory Bitetzakis was the co-owner of Gregory & Paul’s and operated the G & P’s on West 10th Street opposite the Cyclone until his retirement in 2009.

As ATZ reported over the weekend, the majority of the original “Coney Island 8″ eateries are coming back this season. The relocated Cha Cha’s, the Grill House’s neighbor on the Boardwalk, also opened on Sunday. When we stopped by the new bar and restaurant on the north side of Surf across from Nathan’s Famous, John “Cha Cha” Ciarcia was holding court at a front table and regulars were dropping by for their first drinks of the season. Cha Cha’s new address is 1315 Surf Avenue, the space formerly occupied by Surf N Turf Grill.

Steve's New Grill House at the BK Festival on Stillwell Avenue. April 8, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

UPDATE June 25, 2012:

We’re sorry to report that Steve’s is ~~temporarily~~ closed. After losing his spot on Stillwell when the BK Festival closed to make way for the new Steeplechase Park, Steve’s trailer was relocated to Thor Equities’ Surf Avenue lot at West 12th Street. While Cha Cha’s Steeplechase Park finally managed to open on Mermaid Parade Day after a four week delay, the satellite locations on Surf remain closed for now. In addition, Steve’s new location has literally left his trailer up against a fence. The original plans for the new Steeplechase park and the other two locations called for opening the fencing during business hours. It turns out that city regulations will not permit it.