Inside/out, two different views of belatedly open Sugar Factory at Barclays Center (plus departure of Let's Yo!, Kaz An Nou, Marco's)
After more than two years of delay, the Sugar Factory candy store finally opened Saturday, 11/15/14, at the eastern end of the arena.
The interior looks like a fine place to buy/sell candy. Surely, the entrance from the interior of the Barclays Center is festive.
From the exterior, however, it's still dead at the end of the arena where Sixth Avenue meets Pacific Street, as the photo below taken 11/17/14 indicates.
At one point, presumably, they expected to have a retail entrance for people walking by. That, at least for now, is not tenable, since there's little foot traffic and a lot of construction work nearby. Perhaps that will change when towers are built adjacent to the arena.
Let's Yo! gone
Also note--and I missed it for a while--that Let's Yo!, a retail outlet on the Flatbush Avenue side of the arena, closed last summer, after barely six months of existence.
Maybe frozen yogurt is way overhyped, maybe the lease terms were quite demanding, maybe both.
But it's interesting that no one has yet filled that rather prominent space--too expensive?
Nearby, on 6th Avenue, Kaz An Nou closes
As noted on DNAinfo, the French Caribbean eatery Kaz An Nou closes today after five years on Sixth Avenue between Bergen Street and Dean Street, less than half a block from the southeast corner of the arena block.
"It's just a few weeks from the 5 year anniversary of our signing the lease for Kaz An Nou. So much has happened for us in those 5 years, and the neighborhood is barely recognizable (see pre-Barclays Center pic from when we first opened- remember when Freddy's was there?!)," the owners wrote on Facebook.
Indeed, at far left in the photo they posted on Facebook, you can see the green awning of Freddy's Bar & Backroom, and beyond it the four story brick Spalding Building--both, of course, demolished.
"When we approached our landlord mid-lease to discuss plans to expand our business, we were ignored and that has continued for the last couple of years," the Kaz An Nou team continued. It became obvious that we weren't welcome and we made the decision (as if we had a choice) to not go to battle for a lease renewal."
There may be a "next adventure" for the owners. There will be an auction furniture and equipment on Tuesday, 11/25/14.
Also departing, Marco's
DNAinfo also reported:
The interior looks like a fine place to buy/sell candy. Surely, the entrance from the interior of the Barclays Center is festive.
 |
| Photo: Sugar Factory |
At one point, presumably, they expected to have a retail entrance for people walking by. That, at least for now, is not tenable, since there's little foot traffic and a lot of construction work nearby. Perhaps that will change when towers are built adjacent to the arena.
 |
| Let's Yo! replaced temporarily by DWill |
Also note--and I missed it for a while--that Let's Yo!, a retail outlet on the Flatbush Avenue side of the arena, closed last summer, after barely six months of existence.
Maybe frozen yogurt is way overhyped, maybe the lease terms were quite demanding, maybe both.
But it's interesting that no one has yet filled that rather prominent space--too expensive?
Nearby, on 6th Avenue, Kaz An Nou closes
As noted on DNAinfo, the French Caribbean eatery Kaz An Nou closes today after five years on Sixth Avenue between Bergen Street and Dean Street, less than half a block from the southeast corner of the arena block.
"It's just a few weeks from the 5 year anniversary of our signing the lease for Kaz An Nou. So much has happened for us in those 5 years, and the neighborhood is barely recognizable (see pre-Barclays Center pic from when we first opened- remember when Freddy's was there?!)," the owners wrote on Facebook.
Indeed, at far left in the photo they posted on Facebook, you can see the green awning of Freddy's Bar & Backroom, and beyond it the four story brick Spalding Building--both, of course, demolished.
"When we approached our landlord mid-lease to discuss plans to expand our business, we were ignored and that has continued for the last couple of years," the Kaz An Nou team continued. It became obvious that we weren't welcome and we made the decision (as if we had a choice) to not go to battle for a lease renewal."
There may be a "next adventure" for the owners. There will be an auction furniture and equipment on Tuesday, 11/25/14.
Also departing, Marco's
DNAinfo also reported:
The Italian trattoria Marco’s, the most recent addition to the family of eateries on Flatbush Avenue that includes Franny's and BKLYN Larder, will close in mid-December, its owners announced Thursday.Owners Francine Stephens and Andrew Feinberg wrote on Marco's website:
Ever since opening little more than a year ago, Marco’s has been a labor of love. Our vision was to create a trattoria version of franny’s – simple and rustic Italian food, the best ingredients from local farms and served in a beautiful and welcoming dining room. Unfortunately, as amazing as the food is and as warm and skilled our service, the business simply hasn’t been profitable enough to keep the doors open. So on December 13, our team will cook and serve our last meal there.Marco's, which Times critic's Pete Wells dubbed "Franny's sophisticated brother," opened in the space at 295 Flatbush Avenue (between Prospect Place and St. Marks Avenue) originally occupied by Franny's, about two blocks from the arena. Franny's moved to a larger space a few blocks deeper into Park Slope.
We are eternally grateful to our outstanding team, led by Chef Danny Amend and GM Martin Gobbee. We will always be incredibly proud of our collective work at Marco’s. We are also immensely appreciative of our guests who have dined with us and made memories here. It has truly been a pleasure cooking for you. While this is not the end we hoped for, we will use this moment as an opportunity to learn, grow and strengthen our company.
As for the space at Marco’s, we are considering a few possibilities and will be sure to keep our guests posted on any news. And of course, franny’s and Bklyn Larder remain open and continue to thrive in our beloved neighborhood of Park Slope.
It's hard to reach any definitive conclusion, but I would point out that Marco's, which is a sophisticated restaurant with a somewhat pricey menu, was aiming more at neighborhood crowds than arena crows.
Is the future of that stretch of Flatbush more like Morgan's Barbeque, which aims more evenly at locals and visitors, and at a lower price point?
Business come & go an we all get that, but the ones who want to stay what exactly does the Brookyn Chamber, Brooklyn Partnership and all these BIDS do? seems many organization with the same mission and yet you can't find one who is advocating for small business owners.
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