There goes the neighborhood. Burrito bowl chain Chipotle recently put up signage on the ground floor space at 1190 Fulton Street, on the corner of Bedford Avenue, in Bed-Stuy. Now Shake Shack appears to be throwing its hat in the ring. The windows on the building are papered over, but the burger chain’s green logo and neon lettering are unmistakable: Shack burgers are coming. Eater has contacted the company for more information on the opening. Stay tuned.
One of the city’s essential Mexican restaurants is closing
Coszcal de Allende, one of the city’s essential restaurants, Mexican or otherwise, is closing after 15 years. The team announced the news on Instagram on Thursday evening, attributing the decision to “landlord issues,” a common thread in the latest wave of restaurant and bar closings. “We are do not [sic] have an exact date yet, but we just know it’s soon,” the post reads.
Noma co-founder to open a Brooklyn restaurant
It’s been a big week for Noma, the so-called “world’s best restaurant” that announced its plans to close in 2024 earlier this week. Now, Bloomberg reports that Noma co-founder Mad Refslund is opening a restaurant in north Brooklyn this spring with Alinea alum Will Douillet. Refslund has been rumored to be opening in this stretch of the borough since at least 2017, when the chef signed on a 4,000-square-foot space in Williamsburg. His new restaurant, called Ilis, will reportedly focus on “hyper-seasonal” produce.
Flushing’s new food hall is up and running
Downtown Flushing’s new food hall at Tangram Mall is up and running, with some half a dozen vendors open and another handful on the way. The lineup includes CoocooCachoo, serving hot chicken sandwiches; Cruncheese, a Korean corn dog chain with a dozen locations; boba chain I’Milky; egg tart shop Na Tart; banh mi chain Joju; Soft Swerve ice cream; and Qing Shu for spicy hot pot. Five more vendors, including an outpost of the city’s popular Thai restaurant Zaab Zaab, are slated to open this spring.