Would you like a new replacement for Deli Plus?

[Sonia]

We may soon be seeing a new deli, replacing the old Deli Plus store, preferably something along the line of Dean & Deluca. Most of us desperately miss the convenience of Deli Plus, and new residents in the neighborhood will be looking for this kind of amenity. It's our understanding Newport is looking into the possibility of a new store, albeit one that will be fully in compliance with health standards.

[msion1]

Yes! Yes! Yes!

[zipbow]

Absolutely!
There's hardly any grab-and-go stores in the near proximity now that ZZ and Deli are gone...

[NewportJ]

BEEN DYING FOR ONE!!!

[itsted]

Dean and Deluca would be a wonderful addition to the Newport storescape. Pricey, but excellent.

[msion1]

Dean and Deluca would be a wonderful addition to the Newport storescape. Pricey, but excellent.

I'll take pricey over NOTHING! Right? ;)

[NSK]

That would be great!

[renuka]

Sure, a Deli would be a Plus ! :p Is it actually Dean & Deluca or something similar? Are you allowed to divulge a name? Thanks.

[TravelinThru]

Thats good news - hope it opens quickly - finger crossed!

[goldfish]

I really think what we need is a good old fashioned New York Style Deli place where you can walk in & get a couple of eggs on a bun & coffee without taking out a mortgage. Maybe even a couple of tables where you could sit down.

Paying a 30% premium for a recognizable franchise isn't what we need. We already have starbucks for that.

Let's bring some personality to Newport.

[Stinky]

I really think what we need is a good old fashioned New York Style Deli place where you can walk in & get a couple of eggs on a bun & coffee without taking out a mortgage.Absolutely!

What this neighborhood needs is some down-market places to get snacks not pricey up-market stores. An NYC-type corner deli and a pizza-by-the-slice joint would fit the bill.

[shopgirl]

although I truly welcoming these NYC type of stores, but I don't think they will be happy here after they opened. people don't want to pay NYC price in Jersey City, but landlord keep forgetting that we are still in Jersey; we just want something convenient and simple, not a high-end store that good on the map. Don't get me wrong, I still love to see D&D here, and I love their drinks... I just want a store here for longer period of time, not close after a few months and change to another store, again!

[Jake2]

I vote in favor, D & D style deli would be a nice addition, and a great place to get a nice cup of coffee.

[zipbow]

D&D won't hurt. And I won't mind getting a Jumba Juice either~

[dogday]

oh it would be sooo great to have a regular deli or a pizza joint, so nice

[Lenin]

Personally I'd prefer a replacement for piZZa.

The store they are going to put into the Shore Club sounds Dean and DeLuca-ish.

Alas, for Newport the only thing that is likely to be anything like Dean and DeLuca will be the prices. Any site on Pavonia is apt to be way too small to be comparable.

[cancerdotcom]

should be a huge space available when kims closes

i doubt they are making it

unless they get rid of the books

get rid of the videos

get rid of the electronic

and expand the cafe

lol

[goldfish]

My guess is that the landlord has probably already made up their minds - probably inked a deal even before they booted Deli+.

I hope I'm wrong. It would be great if Newport started taking on the personality of a neighborhood rather than a strip mall.

I shudder at the thought of having to choose between Starbucks & Dean & Deluca. Talk about choosing the lesser of two evils. But Wada-ya-gonna-do?

g

[itsted]

I remember when I first moved to New York 15 years ago. You could not find a decent cup of coffee. The typical New York coffee experience was of the "get it and get out" variety--little blue cups of wan brew bought from corner stores with no place to sit down.

I like Starbuck's coffee and I can think of no single thing (aside maybe from getting rid of the squeegee people who would "clean" your windshield at intersections) that has improved the quality of life in the NYC area more. I was thrilled to see they had one in Newport and it certainly contributed to my decision to move here.

I am also a big fan of Dean and Deluca--which is a real NYC institution, not from Seattle or San Francisco. They are not the cheapest, but the quality is consistent and I remember paying $3.99 for an 8 ounce package of cream cheese at Deli Plus. Those little neighborhood NYC delis are rip-offs.

[Sonia]

Glad to see that we have a serious interest, which I will convey to the Lefrak organization this week. Actually, the idea is for a Dean & Deluca concept, and not necessarily that they will actually have a store in Newport, although that would be nice.

[Rocketman]

Please make it happen. We could use a good gourmet place around here!

[Humanoid]

I think D&D wouldn't add as much benefit to us as NY-style 24hour deli. I would really want to see something where I could get groceries and maybe flowers (flower place in pacific is quite bad). We already have Starbucks & Kim's. Why add another similar store on the same block? Would be nice to combine DeliPlus & Pizza areas into one large 24hr grocery.

[DogLover]

I think D&D wouldn't add as much benefit to us as NY-style 24hour deli. I would really want to see something where I could get groceries and maybe flowers (flower place in pacific is quite bad). We already have Starbucks & Kim's. Why add another similar store on the same block? Would be nice to combine DeliPlus & Pizza areas into one large 24hr grocery.


I couldn't agree with you more! This is exactly what we need.

[Sonia]

Yes, there will be a Deli. Newport management confirmed their decision this morning, but have asked that residents refrain from calling their offices on this matter, as they have received around 100 inquiries already. Let them have the time to get the job done. We will keep you posted as information becomes available. Thank you all for your cooperation. :)

[JimGee]

Just want to record my vote for a "NYC Style deli" (I think of them as "Korean Delis") over some branded entity like D&D. As others have said, Starbucks and the Kims cafe have that niche well covered. We need a place where you can get halfway decent bagel & coffee for a normal price, where you can pick up half gallons of milk & OJ without having to endure the Duane Reade cashiers who exist in some parallel universe where time progresses in cinematic slow motion, and where you can get stuff to tide you over between supermarket trips (pasta, frozen food, rice, etc.,), again without relying on a drug store that sells this stuff on the side... I think Newport is a bit of a demographic curveball for the LeFraks and would-be retailers, though. And this is what's in back of the high failure rate of neighborhood stores/shops and maybe even the woes of the Newport Mall. Yes, there is a huge, almost captive customer base sitting in all these tall towers-- on the surface it seems almost ludicrous that any retail establishment would do anything but prosper. But when you really factor in the different spending habits, tastes, etc.,. of the majority East Asian population here, it becomes a much dicier situation. Deli+ tried to cover all demographic bases, but apparently its management was just sub-par. A NYC Style deli with some real shelf space devoted to Indian and Japanese products, and a good, energetic management, might cut through the confusion. A D&D's won't, at least after the similar place in the Shore Club opens.

--
JG

[Fifipjm]

Yes, there will be a Deli. Newport management confirmed their decision this morning, but have asked that residents refrain from calling their offices on this matter, as they have received around 100 inquiries already. Let them have the time to get the job done. We will keep you posted as information becomes available. Thank you all for your cooperation. :)
Sonia, Did they receive 100 inquiries about who is coming there or inquiries from people who want to be there ?
Thanks

[Sonia]

Fifipjm,

My understanding is around 100 applications were submitted for the space, and management would appreciate no more phone calls. :Tara.sad6

[07310]

Does anyone know what might be going into the new retail space next to the entrance to the gym?

[msion1]

Does anyone know what might be going into the new retail space next to the entrance to the gym?

Yes, I saw it in the newsletter we received a few weeks ago. I believe it's going to be an athletic apparel store, catering to running.

[venus_aisle]

why would you need an athletic apparel store. How many times in an year are you going to buy athletic gear and why cant you go to the many stores in the mall when you need it. I dont understand why all these retail stores want to come in here. We need more low-key day to day utility type stores... Just my 2 cents.

[Lenin]

Why indeed would we need ANY of the shops that have opened at Newport.
We have an empty doggy care center, a money losing Duane Reade, a nail shop without people, a fashion outlet that is a joke, the world's most expensiive and useless video shop...and something coming with delusions of Dean and DeLuca....it can't get funnier!

It seems a sneaker shop is no less silly...God help the person who puts his life savings into the joint.

NB sneakers are found always at a huge discount at Modell's...shorts at TARGET.

[Stinky]

...a fashion outlet that is a joke...That's been empty for a few days now. Guess they just lasted a year.

[venus_aisle]

Why should there be only 1 deli. Let there be two, I'm sure amonst the many many high rises here there will be enough clientele.

[GreenPlanet]

Great post Lenin, I agree completely. The even funnier thing is, the Lefrak organization has received over 100 applications for that space...it would be so easy for them to fulfill the community's needs by installing something other than a retail outlet that we will shop at once a year at most. However, they are apparently choosing to go their own route and decide specifically the type of store to pick. A friend of mine inquired about opening a beauty salon there, but they said "we're not looking for that", and the inquiry lasted all of one phone call. With the right outlook in place, this area could become A LOT better A LOT faster in my opinion...

[venus_aisle]

Is there a way we can submit the top 20 requests for shops to the management and only have them pick one the ones we selected. We are the ultimate consumers and we should have a say in what comes in here.

[DogLover]

Is there a way we can submit the top 20 requests for shops to the management and only have them pick one the ones we selected. We are the ultimate consumers and we should have a say in what comes in here.

That's a great idea. They should want to hear from us. Happy tenants mean happy business owners....if they chose a place WE want, the place should succeed and then everyone is happy.

[JimGee]

Sorry to trumpet myself, but the more I think about a statement I made above, the more I'm convinced it's at the root of all these retail problems. To wit:


"Yes, there is a huge, almost captive customer base sitting in all these tall towers-- on the surface it seems almost ludicrous that any retail establishment would do anything but prosper. But when you really factor in the different spending habits, tastes, etc.,. of the majority East Asian population here, it becomes a much dicier situation."
I'm afraid it's just something you have to accept when you live here. The demographics completely fake out the businesspeople and nobody wins. The one hope is that the Shore Club, being non-rental, will bring in enough longterm, non-frugal born-in-the-USA types to help bring things closer to expectations. Any given establishment should be about half the size of the ones that have tried and failed. It's a bummer, but with 70 to 75% of the residents being East Asians with entirely different spending habits, downsizing is a matter of survival.

And, Lenin, were you serious when you said "a money losing Duane Reade"? Please tell me you weren't. As pathetic as the place is, I'm outta here if it folds (unless the Shore Club supermarket is for real).

--
JG

[Lisa]

Shore Club is mostly East Asian.

[JimGee]

Shore Club is mostly East Asian.Well, TofA seems to be maybe 80% South and East Asian (S&EA). If Shore Club is only 60% S&EA it could help out... I hope no one is misconstruing what I'm saying here-- Indians, Japanese, Pakistanis, Filipinos, Koreans and others are fine by me. From a purely commercial standpoint, though, the heavy Newport majority born in those countries makes it very difficult for business owners to get a real bead on who will use their places and how much they will spend on what.

But if someone hits the right formula they'll be shocked at their own rapid success. This someone would visit Fort Lee to learn what the Japanese like to buy, Jackson Heights to see where Indians go, and so on for the other major nationalities. Then stitch those together with whatever works (or used to work) in Battery Park City to take care of us USAians. It's experimental and complex, but the potential payout is huge... Due to these demographics, a Dean & Deluca-like outfit won't work here. In fact it would quickly crash and burn. Although the S&EAs in Newport are rather upscale, folks from these cultures still resist throwing a lot of money at trendy goods, edible or otherwise. They will splurge once in a while but in nothing like the sustained way needed by a D&D. Someone who grasps the issues here and does her/his homework would put up a clean NYC-style deli with extra Japanese and Indian shelf-space and fast workers. It would make a bundle and would be such a neighborhood fixture that the new Shore Club supermarket would barely hurt it.

--
JG