Lease Signed for Umami to Open on Broadway
Eric Richardson
[Flickr]
A lease has been signed for Umami to open a restaurant in these retail spaces near 9th and Broadway.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Revitalization efforts on the southern end of Broadway got a big boost today as word leaked that Adam Fleischman's Umami is planning to open Umamicatessen near the corner of 9th and Broadway.
Eater LA was first to report on the new restaurant, which will feature four kitchens — one offering Umami burgers, another mini tapas sandwiches, the third house-cured deli meats and the fourth dessert.
The lease for the roughly 7,000-square-foot space at 852 S. Broadway was signed on December 31 after several months of talks. The restaurant will combine two storefronts, one the former location of SipTea and the other most-recently a never-opened eatery. ANJAC Fashion Buildings owns the property, which is next door to the Orpheum Theatre. Putting together the plans for the space is SODA Inc., the Downtown-based designers of the recently-opened 1886 Bar in Pasadena and the soon-to-come bar beneath the El Dorado.
Councilman Jose Huizar's office is planning a January 25 press conference to celebrate the lease and other activity on Broadway.
"When we began working with Steve Needleman, ANJAC, and the Umami folks on this idea back in the summer, we knew bringing it to fruition would be no small feat, so we're thrilled we will be welcoming Umami downtown as part of Bringing Back Broadway," said Huizar today.
"This deal represents a great collaboration between a visionary property owner, a pioneering business owner and city departments, to fill long-vacant space, bring jobs Downtown and revitalize Broadway. We look forward to discussing the details of this -- and another great business coming to Broadway -- in just a couple of weeks."
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 04:40PM – #1
Don't ruin the press conference with Huizar...
film rob on January 07, 2011, at 04:49PM – #2
best news all week!! ohhhh snap.
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 05:25PM – #3
i live at the Blackstone.... looks like i'll be getting fat off some AMAZING burgers!!! r.
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 05:49PM – #4
i live at the blackstone also...and im excited too!! this is great news!
Id have to say Huizars office and Jessica Wethington McLean are doing a great job!!!
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 05:59PM – #5
Looks like this corner is seeing quite a bit of activity. -There's a 7-Eleven store planned in the old Payless space (SE corner) -According the Building and Safety Department website, the Blackstone will get a coffee shop at it's base (SW corner) -There seems to be some activity at the base of the Eastern Columbia building if I'm not mistaken (NW corner)
Anthony Costantino on January 07, 2011, at 06:27PM – #6
The Wurstkuche of burgers. Overpriced and skimpy. Charging for an extra spoonful of ketchup? Enjoy it, yuppies. This is exactly what I feared about Huizar's project.
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 06:31PM – #7
This is amazing. I'm more excited about what this means for the future of Broadway in general... 2010 and 2011 will have been the most important years for Bway in decades. I was walking down Broadway this evening and looked up and saw people in their apartments at the Arcade Building. Signs of life!
J-M on January 07, 2011, at 07:35PM – #8
Guest 1: still bitter about your press conf? It's been a few weeks now.
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 07:51PM – #9
I'm excited about this and I don't even eat meat! When do the streets get fixed too?!!!
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 07:53PM – #10
@Anthony. As if VACANT rundown spaces with no jobs is preferable? Please. This is GREAT news for Broadway and Downtown and will put some life on the street - finally - signs of life even at night! Bring it on!
Jeremy on January 07, 2011, at 08:29PM – #11
umami and tacos mexico make 9th and broadway a good place to eat
Anthony Costantino on January 07, 2011, at 09:09PM – #12
Tacos Mexico is legit, I'll take a Family Pants or Fallas any day over Umami. Working class folks like to eat and shop without having to drop 10 bucks on a burger. Go to Pete's or Blu LA for that.
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 09:16PM – #13
@ Anthony - you're missing the point. The spaces were vacant before like so much of Broadway. Something - even if YOU don't seem it working class "legit" enough, has got to be better than vacancies, and the truth is the Downtown community will totally welcome this.
You say "working class folks like to eat and shop without having to drop 10 bucks on a burger." Well, good news, Anthony, just like they didn't have to drop 10 bucks on a burger when the space was vacant, they still won't have to when Umami opens, because this has replaced NOTHING, taken away NO choice that existed before, so by any measure, it's got to be a positive addition.
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 09:41PM – #14
I'm glad to hear the Blackstone was very nicely restored and successful in attracting tenants. So that, the nearby Eastern Columbia, and now this new restaurant are adding to the momentum of the southern end of Broadway.
Keep the pace rolling, everybody!
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 09:42PM – #15
hey guest 6...umami has veggie burger options!
hey guest 5...and near the arcade building you'll also see folks moving into the jewelry trades bldg...and the "Metropolitan" bldg at the nw corner of 5th and Broadway just put up a leasing banner.
hey Anthony...even Fallas cleaned up their 2nd floor to ready up for residential tenants to move in. What a great mix...Fallas for you and your working class bros and sisters, and apartments above for your yuppie friends!
Guest on January 07, 2011, at 11:34PM – #16
.....and what's in it for ME?
Ken L. Hall on January 08, 2011, at 12:21AM – #17
Great news for Broadway...welcome!
Anthony Costantino on January 08, 2011, at 09:19AM – #18
Guest 8-I'm not missing any point, I just have a different opinion. I'd rather have an empty storefront that keeps rents low for any area businesses so they can provide decent prices, rather than something that puts pressure for more expensive businesses to push the local ones out. Something tells me Jose's vision for Broadway is a jamba juice/starbucks every five feet. That's what the Westside is for. Head on over there if you prefer strip malls and over-hyped food. Leave the burritos alone.
Guest on January 08, 2011, at 09:41AM – #19
OK, Anthony, so even say you PREFER vacant storefronts? Wow, well, you must have been in heaven for the past 15 years on Broadway then.
If vacant storefronts keeps prices "low for all" why haven't all those businesses you deems as "legit" come in and filled all the vacancies in the last decade and longer when this street has been on a steady decline? Obviously, that theory doesn't work. Either those (in your words) "legit" businesses don't have the shopping market demand they once had in order to survive, or they just don't want to be there because the street has a lot of vacancies and there is almost nothing happening after 7pm anywhere on Broadway except Broadway Bar and theater stuff from time to time.
The truth is, vacancies lead to more vacancies because businesses want to locate where other businesses thrive. Activity leads to more activity and vacant commercial districts are not good for anyone.
But hey, to each his own. Enjoy a 1/2 vacant Broadway while it lasts because hopefully Broadway is finally turning around. And by the way, Umami Burger is not Jamba Juice or the Gap or anything even close to that. Umami is a VERY cloo, locally owned and operated business that happens to have a few stores throughout L.A. that do very well and that people really like. Each one is different and unique to its environment and neighborhood. And even if that wasn't the case - news flash, the city, not even Huizar, can't control what businesses chooses to come to Broadway, but they can certainly celebrate when something the neighborhood wants opens up in a vacant space. So good for them!
Can't wait for this one and more like it!
Neva Chevalier on January 08, 2011, at 11:15AM – #20
Anthony is purposely missing the larger point. Change is hard for some people. It's a natural process for areas to age, fall out of favor & degrade and then re-gentrify -- downtown at one point was a vibrant shopping area with some opulence to it. I'm not for a bunch of Pinkberrys or Starbucks moving in, but businesses bringing CHOICE for the residents and revenue for the City is nothing to harumph at. It's also the best way to see these older buildings are repaired and put to use, instead of dying a slow, empty death before they're demolished. These buildings, left empty and barely maintained, will ultimately be too expensive to fix and we'll just lose them. All you have to do is look -- there are plenty of areas in our metropolis that are not undergoing revitalization where you can seek out empty storefronts and wind-strewn trash. For now, thankfully, the Core is building some steam.
Guest on January 08, 2011, at 11:39AM – #21
Sure beats Hooters.
film rob on January 08, 2011, at 11:44AM – #22
is $10 really over priced? it's food.
Anthony Costantino on January 08, 2011, at 12:08PM – #23
@Guest8: ever thought that maybe rents were too high for working-class businesses? Maybe the problem is that these office building conversions only hold lofts, there is very little decently-priced, family-oriented housing available downtown. Fill a neighborhood with single loft yupsters and like-minded businesses will follow: yoga, expensive bars, eight dollar sausages, etc. So by that effect, govt does control what goes where.
What do you want Broadway to be, five hundred bars all lined up disgorging drunk, screaming idiots every night at 2am? Constant, unabated activity? What's wrong with closing up every day and having a quiet street at night so people can sleep? Not against change here, just hoping for a nice mix of cultures/economic incomes.
Neva: disagreeing does not constitute "missing a point."
Guest on January 08, 2011, at 12:40PM – #24
As a former DTLA resident, I'm all for the Broadway upgrade; I just couldn't stand another day of living in the Core while waiting for it to transpire. I'll enjoy it much more as a visitor. ¡Viva la Broadway Nueva y Limpia!
Guest on January 08, 2011, at 12:47PM – #25
You'll know Anthony by the dozens of "legit" gold chains around his neck and the 6-pack of threadbare socks he's got in his shopping bag... because that's all the current Broadway sells. Oh, that and those super-legit multicolored spinning lights that house party DJs use.
Guest on January 08, 2011, at 01:18PM – #26
Last night I went to the opening of Mas Malo..the place was packed as was Bottega Louie across the street. Walked over to Colori Kitchen and it was packed. The Central City is alive again...so happy to welcome Umami. More jobs, more choices, safer streets. It is all good! I do hope lots of retail is next on the horizon.
Guest on January 08, 2011, at 01:51PM – #27
From Anthony-
disgorging drunk, screaming idiots every night at 2am? Constant, unabated activity? What's wrong with closing up every day and having a quiet street at night so people can sleep?
That is more the description of Skid Row before Safer City Initiative and rebuilding the old SRO slums into new affordable housing with services.
Homeless who were cracked out or mentally ill (and preyed upon). No one to stop self destructive behavior, stop the gangs or protect those who live and work in Skid Row because it is their home. Yeah, try to get folks clean and sober and then have every friend give them crack and singles on their doorstep as they try to change. So much for really caring about folks.
With Anthony's urban vision, I guess the "Escape from LA" movie must be a redevelopment dream. So easy to have a quiet night's sleep in an abandoned and vacant retail district.
Anthony Costantino on January 08, 2011, at 03:09PM – #28
Guest 15: Somehow you drew the tangent that disliking Umami = promoting a city full of chaos, homeless and poverty. I hope you don't have a job that requires any type of critical thinking or drawing rational conclusions. If you consider "Escape from LA" to mean affordable housing for families/businesses that cater to more than yuppies whose closest relationship is with their dog and their flatscreen, than I'm guilty as charged :)
Guest on January 08, 2011, at 03:12PM – #29
Anthony, I can deal with your preferences just as long as you're not the type who talks like an idealistic, youthful proletariat today but then eventually chooses to pack up and move far away from the rigors and grit of downtown LA. Perhaps transplanting himself to a city like Seattle or Portland or a suburb of southern California. I've observed too many folks similar to that through the years.
Guest on January 08, 2011, at 03:54PM – #30
To Anthony:
To rents on Broadway: As crazy as this seems, I have read on this very website that the prices per sq. foot on Broadway are the highest in all of LA. There is mass business going on albeit cheap junk from China. So, you are incorrect in your assumption about commercial rents there.
To there being a lack affordable housing for the "working class" DT, I think you are right in that there are super pricey loft units for sale or rent, then there are the SRO hotels that take those with a very low (provable) level of income. Nothing in between. This leaves out the middle professionals/artists who may not have a steady paycheck and/or who make a slight bit over the amount needed to get housing at an SRO. If your making 35-50k-ish a year, you are out of luck. Also, DT isn’t really kid friendly yet. Kids are not advised to be anywhere is Skid Row where most of the affordable housing is and there is lack of kid infrastructure, schools, daycare etc.
Lastly, if you are so concerned with the "working class" of America, I know I am, consider that the vast majority of crap sold on Broadway- cheap socks, cheap shampoo, cheap everything is made in China and much of it is counterfeit. The prevalence of cheap and bootleg merch take away real paying jobs from our American working class who used to be paid a decent wage to make stuff. I for one am mad as heck about all the faux crap for sale on our streets (but I do credit recent crackdowns by Trutanich). I think it should all be cleaned up, every last fake Levis pant, every last fake DVD.
KJ
Anthony Costantino on January 08, 2011, at 03:55PM – #31
Guest 16, I moved to DT precisely because I wanted the grit, not gonna move anywhere.
DawnC on January 08, 2011, at 05:58PM – #32
I'm curious Anthony, how long have you lived Downtown LA exactly? It seems like you missed what you wanted by about 10 years. Maybe you should consider Boyle Heights? Echo Park is probably too gentrified for you buy now. Sure, you're entitled to dislike things but complaining about the price of a burger seems silly. With that argument corporate mega chains like McDonald's could satisfy your needs.
I'm not hoping for big chain stores anytime soon but local Los Angeles places like Umami contribute to the uniqueness of our city. I don't get the dissing of Wurstkuche at all. I'm delighted that I can walk to a place that has a line outside when we used to have a city of tents right out our window and everyone was terrified to come visit.
Anthony Costantino on January 08, 2011, at 08:00PM – #33
Guest 6: Then that proves my point. Maybe rents are too high for a low-priced business to survive? Which is fine, if a boutique burger place makes it, they certainly deserve to stay.
Dawn: Almost two years. Read my previous comment. I moved here because I like it as it is, with many nice restaurants like Petes or Drago from which to choose (and which I will visit, once in a while), but there will hopefully continue to be a plethora of more affordable eats like Tacos Mexico and such.
Guest on January 08, 2011, at 08:47PM – #34
Anthony, I know you moved here because you like it the way it is, but Downtown has been changing for the better part of a decade. Especially in an area like this where a neighborhood was created out of many empty buildings (props to those who have lived here since the '80s and '90s though), things are going to change. Things were changing two years ago when you moved here, four years ago when I moved here, and will continue to change.
Broadway just isn't able to compete with the suburban latino shopping districts in the South Bay, Eastside and in the smaller cities surrounding LA. I'd love to see Broadway start serving the new neighborhood that's sprung up around it. If 7th Street is our new Restaurant Row (Mas Malo was absolutely packed this evening, and the entire street was full of couples and groups of friends of all ages), then Broadway should be the street that sees neighborhood-serving retail. If the neighborhood has higher-income people in it, then I'd be glad to see retail that comes along and serves our needs. If a $10 burger can draw people in and tag along on that wave, great!
Just let go of your negativity and give a new local business (sure, a small local chain) a chance. It looks like it's going to be a different concept from the other locations. If it's not what the neighborhood wants, it will close. I have a feeling that it's going to do just fine.
J-M on January 08, 2011, at 10:24PM – #35
What I'm learning about the "New" Downtown is that it's not permissible to have an opinion. While I may disagree with Anthony (although can't we also find some middle ground between Hooters and Umami?), I find myself wondering if it's Crap-on-Anthony-Day? Why didn't anyone tell me? I would have jumped on the bandwagon sooner.
Guest on January 09, 2011, at 02:02AM – #36
I'm with Anthony on some points. I moved Downtown because I love the history, the architecture, the urban fabric, the walkability, the characters...and I could finally afford it without having to move into an SRO or something out of Seven.
I look forward to new small businesses with character and something special to offer. In terms of restaurants, while Umami is nice news, I'd get much more excited if a kick-a Indonesian restaurant opened. Or an okinomiyaki joint. Or a cleaned up next generation Oki-Dog. Or a Cubano bakery. Know what I mean? There is such a thing as over-gentrification, right? There's a point where we can say, "That dude owns one too many bars."
Although I occasionally enjoy a bite at Casa and the rebranded Border Grill, I prefer my burritos from Mai's and my pupusas from Grand Central Market. (But Tacos Mexico is GROSS...don't do that!)
Oh by the way, although there are some wacked exceptions, Broadway doesn't command the same high rents that it used to until about the mid-'90s. That's when the Fashion Dist (which had been around in smaller incarnations) really took off...especially Santee Alley...and the customer base moved thataway. So what you see are the leftovers and new upstarts.
Guest on January 09, 2011, at 08:27AM – #37
in this economy, it is hard to believe that anyone would want a storefront empty when it could be creating jobs for people. i wonder what he thinks of LA live?
there are still parts of downtownt that will alway be "gritty". go to any major city and this is the case as well- New York, San Francisco, etc.... they all have their high ends and their low ends. while the city morphs, you may find that the area you live in isn't the same as it used to be.... great- move. just like i did from the west side to downtown, i will move again if i dislike my neighborhood. btw, Umami is practically in South Park, which I would never call "gritty".
in the meantime, be happy that more jobs are being created for our failing economy.
Guest on January 09, 2011, at 09:21AM – #38
Anthony: "I moved to DT precisely because I wanted the grit, not gonna move anywhere."
I accept that. But I'm assuming you're currently single and still rather young. So if not you personally but people similar to you eventually get married and have kids, that's when in too many instances their perceptions start to change. That's when they start to get increasingly nitpicky about the quality of local schools and the hospitality of their surroundings. That's when they begin to find their patience running thin over issues of homelessness, crime, limited retail options and dirty sidewalks.
Los Angeles has long had a surprisingly small number of educated, good-income people living in its center. By the standards of the most prized cities here and abroad, LA doesn't even rate on a chart. So what I describe above still applies to most of the folks living throughout the LA basin.
Guest on January 09, 2011, at 10:42AM – #39
as an aside, anthony failed to comment on the article involving hooters and the medieval restaurant.... are those okay in some way while umami isn't? two wacky places, smack in your "gritty" downtown and you care more about the one that might actually elevate broadway?
Guest on January 09, 2011, at 11:29AM – #40
@Anthony, that's the beauty of what's gong on in DTLA. Change is a good thing. I live on Spring St, and love to walk @ night. But we never do on Broadway. Too empty=dangerous. Bringing in business, especially to an empty building? How can anybody say that's a bad thing. The taco joints can always exist, as long as people go to them. Look @Mai's Kitchen on Spring. My first impression when I saw that place was "what a dump", I yelped it, and saw real good reviews. I frequent it a lot. But I also like to go to Gorbal's and other nicer places. The changes to Downtown are going to revitalize a Downtown that has needed this for a long time. Any major city has high price downtown living. But that is what also attracts the dollar. Get used to it my friend. DTLA was due a big change for a long time.
Chris Loos on January 09, 2011, at 01:24PM – #41
Anthony - you moved Downtown 2 years ago for it's 'grit', when any urban planner worth their salt could have told you that it's going to undergo rapid gentrification, and now you are pissing and moaning about it now that the inevitable change is occurring? If you truly wanted a neighborhood that will stay gritty longer, you probably shouldn't have moved to the heart of LA, where a large stock of underutilized historic buildings are just waiting to be renovated and redeveloped.
Also, you paint an unnuanced picture of downtown's future: either a 'working class' neighborhood filled with vacant storefronts and low end retail, OR an unaffordable, bland, chain-filled Downtown. Why can't downtown have a balance of chains and independents? There is room for everyone. A few chains are good; they anchor the neighborhood and make other businesses feel more confident about opening up downtown. From what I see, DTLA is already headed this direction. There's a great balance of independent shops and chains- far more balanced than other downtowns I've seen that undergo rapid gentrification and go the all-chain route. I don't think downtown is in any danger of becoming a shopping mall...at least not for decades.
Guest on January 09, 2011, at 02:17PM – #42
Umami is alright, but I appreciate folks starting their first-ever businesses more, or experienced business owners who switch over to the retail or restaurant sectors.
I know some of you reading this have great business ideas but are just afraid. Show us what you got! Contact the Small Business Administration. Contact CRA/LA.
And we all got to get behind the new entrepreneurs. I remember reading about the Two Bits market on this blog, and people like Bert Green made snide comments slamming the owners just because they worked in the skateboard/action sport industry previously. No place for that...we need to back up the new business owners.
And somebody please pick out an untapped alcoholic drink and start up a bar themed around that drink before Cedd Moses!!!
Guest on January 09, 2011, at 03:04PM – #43
"I'm with Anthony on some points. I moved Downtown because I love the history, the architecture, the urban fabric, the walkability, the characters...and I could finally afford it without having to move into an SRO or something out of Seven."
Well, now that you can afford it, you might consider purchasing a copy of John Crandell's book on place and memory in the Historic Core of Downtown. It is not a book for people who hate to read, who think they have something with hyper-designed graphics and lots of four-color photos. It is for those who, while wandering the streets and avenues, find themselves asking "what happened here?". His place-oriented collection of essay, maps and photographs begins with the city's founding, includes a description of the pre-existing geography of the area and extends to the meteoric rise of commercial cinema in the latter months of the year 1910, one century ago. It is all about memory and it will blow you away. Visions of L.A. is the publisher. The book is the result of twenty years of research, weighs heavily into architects and design, includes source notes, bibliography and index. 397 pages in large format.
For your perusal, a PDF file of the front matter and preface is available. To receive one, just send a message to Mike at Visions-of-L-A@ATT.net.
Alexandra Leh on January 09, 2011, at 04:00PM – #44
"...bars all lined up disgorging drunk, screaming idiots every night at 2am?" -- yeah, we already have that on 6th between main & los angeles. sleep deprivation is hardly what we residents who moved here almost 6 years ago had in mind. would rather have an umami on my street...and move, say, las perlas to a less-residential location.
J-M on January 09, 2011, at 04:23PM – #45
I never thought it would come to this, but I'm actually sick and tired of all the restaurants and bars opening Downtown. I lived in South Park when it was still gritty and loved it, but I also loved it when they opened Ralph's. I have enjoyed the revival of various neighborhoods and can never get over the sight of lots of people walking about town on a weekend afternoon. But we still greet the opening of every restaurant with oohs and ahhs. How many do we need? I'm glad they're opening (and I'm glad Umami's coming to Broadway, to stay on topic) but what's the big deal? If we FINALLY manage to get a Trader Joe's or a Whole Foods or Vons or some kind of non-dining experience (in other words, something to make life a little easier for the residents rather than the visitors), then that would be news! Who cares if Umami's burgers are expensive? Either go or don't; enjoy your freedom to choose, but stop all the pontificating. I'd love to see Broadway revitalized, but it's is still sad to see more and more of the older stores closing. Downtown is and has been changing. I suppose Broadway is gradually gentrifying, but, if it takes two years to build a Target, it will a long time for Broadway to happen. Maybe the arrival of a streetcar would speed it up. In the meantime, enjoy the grit, because it won't last forever. Otherwise, there's always Detroit.
Bert Green (@bgfa) on January 09, 2011, at 07:27PM – #46
guest 20: Get your facts straight. I did not comment against the owners of Two Bits Market. Brandi and Corbett are my neighbors and I support their efforts to open a small business downtown, as I have done for many others for the past 8 years, before, during and after opening my own business downtown. What's different between then and now? Haters who post anonymous lies against hard working downtown business owners.
Anthony Costantino on January 09, 2011, at 07:44PM – #47
Guest 18: I never really go to LA Live, but if it creates jobs and thrives, good for them. All I'm saying regarding places like Umami and Wurstkuche is that it's silly, to me, to pay for something that I can pretty much do myself. If people know that they are paying 6 bucks for a 50 cent sausage with a DJ spinning, superb.
Guest 16: Why not raise kids downtown? It's only kid-unfriendly because they need more kids/schools/playgrounds, etc. Why isolate your kids from poverty and the reality of the world by living in a suburb? I would be glad to raise mine here. People shouldn't just run away from problems; teach your kids how to solve them.
Guest 18: Opening a medieval-themed restaurant should be a given as to it's tackiness.
Chris: As I stated before, I like the current mix of businesses and hope to see it remain that way. Broadway has many affordable stores and I hope they don't get pushed out. I like downtown a lot as-is.
Example: I ate at Mas Malo tonight. I'll gladly try these places but probably won't become a regular because I'm not the type to overpay for Mexican food while listening to techno in a hip environment. These restaurants are really just taking a legit experience/culture/food and making it palatable for the yuppie masses. Good for 213's success, but there are more authentic places you can go and I'll support them instead, for the most part. Along with these new, higher-end joints, hopefully more affordable, efficient places will be able to open. Maybe a street noodle place or something.
Guest on January 09, 2011, at 08:05PM – #48
Dear Bert Green. This is "Guest 20" on a different computer.
What I wrote earlier was wrong, and I am sorry. You are the best champion of Downtown small businesses.
Guest on January 09, 2011, at 09:24PM – #49
"Broadway has many affordable stores and I hope they don't get pushed out. I like downtown a lot as-is." How many stores do you need selling tube sock, bongs, and over priced Levi's. Many of these stores are run by the same operators, and only they are willing to be gouged by the landlords for rent. Kudos to Mr. Needleman for bringing a great restaurant to Broadway, if there were more property owners like him on Broadway the street would not look the way it does. With any luck once Target opens at 7th & Fig most of these tube sock shops will go away.
Guest on January 10, 2011, at 08:00AM – #50
anthony,
that's great- try them and then don't go again. it is certainly your choice and your opinions are valid to you. i will respect the way you feel about it all, just don't plunk the rest of us into some homogenized catagory of yuppie/hipster/wannabees because we are excited about it. i love down and dirty as much as the next guy- a taco stand is my best friend, but i also want the choice for something like umami. choice makes businesses better, the community grow, and ultimately helps the economy.
will some businesses fail that can't or won't change their business models or products to reflect a changing neighborhood- of course, but the smart business owners will actually morph with us and not stubbornly stay the same and expect the same results. there is an opportunity for us all, and it isn't "us" against "them", i'm not even sure which one's are the "us" and which one's the "them" anymore. it is silly that we can't embrace the old gaurd while welcoming the new gaurd. downtown is big enough for us all.
Anthony Costantino on January 10, 2011, at 10:32AM – #51
I'll end it with this: I'm just voicing my opinion on the news of this post, not trying to convince anyone to change theirs. I think these newer places are really just charging for the experience, and for some, that is what they need. Some people prefer eating sausage or tacos at a place with a DJ, modern design and other hip people like themselves; some prefer a sawdust joint or standing on a street corner outside. To each their own, I'm just hoping that we can get more minimalist places that retain the cultural experience all the way through and low prices rather than serving food in an environment for people who dislike going outside of their comfort zone to eat said food. Hopefully we will end up with a nice mix of things for everyone.
Guest on January 10, 2011, at 10:37AM – #52
This is great news, plain and simple. It brings jobs and life to an otherwise dark corner of Broadway and it's a great amenity for the neighborhood.
Ankur on January 10, 2011, at 10:45AM – #53
@anthony
I feel yeah man. Something for everyone would be nice. Dont see why tacos mexico and this place cant be friends. (off topic, I hate umami's fries. )
That Eastern Columbia building's retail space still is empty. Blows my mind.
Jamie DeFrisco on January 10, 2011, at 10:57AM – #54
I agree with Chris Loos. There's room for both the cheap, the expensive and all that's in between. It's important to keep a happy medium of it all.
I'm all for Umami. If you don't want to pay $10 for a burger then go to one of the cheaper places. Places like Umami not only bring business to empty storefronts, but also bring people downtown. No one is going to come downtown for a generic $5 burger or burrito. While I'm all for the cheaper mom and pop places a lot of them suffer in quality. I've seen a few good mom and pop places go out of business simply because there wasn't enough people around to afford the quality of food they offer.
I agree slightly on what Anthony thinks. I think it's terrible to push out the mom and pop businesses. I also don't think there is enough affordable spaces in downtown. Not only for businesses, but for residents as well. It's great that there's more businesses opening downtown, but how many of those businesses pay people enough to afford to live downtown? I'm sure most of them live outside of downtown.
film rob on January 10, 2011, at 11:18AM – #55
A new owner just took over the eastern retail spaces last month, they are super motivated to fill these spaces (old owners not so much). Same people who own the champan. They also just lease 8k sq ft to a brewery on broadway/8th (under the chapman).
Guest on January 10, 2011, at 12:46PM – #56
Those of us who live in the Historic core know there are a lot of retail spaces available. I am still waiting for someone to grab this space in the Union Lofts building.
http://blogdowntown.com/2008/01/3065-renderings-released-for-restaurant-space
Guest on January 10, 2011, at 01:26PM – #57
I'm excited about each and every one of these cool new eateries to open but we really need retail.
If all these new restaurants are able to be full most nights of the week with people, wouldn't the same people be potential retail customers?
1 year ago I would have thought maybe not, however a lot has changed in the past year and people with $ and not a lot of places to spend it are wandering around DT with few options other than knock off "Dora the Explorer "backbacks.
Glenn Rogers on January 10, 2011, at 02:49PM – #58
This is great news if Anthony wants gritty he can always move to South Central or Detroit.
Guest on January 10, 2011, at 08:45PM – #59
A few of the comments above make me realize it's even more ridiculous to complain about the opening of a new restaurant (or store, for that matter) on Broadway, if not in downtown overall, when there are so many vacant or barely utilized spaces throughout the area.
In a way it will be nice if a day ever arrives -- and a sign that a new page has been turned -- when such spaces are so greatly sought after and so heavily booked up that everyone can be very choosy about what new restaurant or store should fill a vacant spot.
Russell Brown on January 10, 2011, at 10:44PM – #60
New "Wanted in Downtown" candidate- along with TJ's- for me is Yogurtland. Hal- Are you listening?
Little Tokyo shop on Central is always packed. The new one on Figueroa in the Gateway building at USC is too far away to be easily convenient to downtown.
Store manager said some are corporate owned, some are franchises. About $100 K to buy a franchise.
Guest on January 10, 2011, at 10:47PM – #61
i would love a yogurtland closer too! good idea.
Guest on January 11, 2011, at 10:55AM – #62
"Tacos Mexico is legit".
WTF? That place is ASS. Bring in a King Torta, cuz Tacos Mex has worn out its welcome.
And if you say Ye Olde Taco House, go suck a duck. Nothing is worse than cheap, crappy takes on Mexican food where you get jipped out of 4 bucks when you can head to Boyle Heights or Lincoln Heights for real deal Mom & Pop spots.
Don't waste your couch money on mockery. But Umami should be cool....
Guest on January 11, 2011, at 01:46PM – #63
anthony keeps it real
Scott Mercer on January 12, 2011, at 02:30PM – #64
Can't support the idea of leaving a storefront vacant.
More businesses breed more businesses.
And Umami is not exactly a Tiffany's jewelry store.
There's still PLENTY of "legit" (that is, low-end, sorry, but that's what you're talking about) stores/eating places downtown.
Christopher Eaton on January 23, 2011, at 01:56PM – #65
I joined this conversation about 2 weeks too late but I just wanted to say that I appreciate the differences in opinion and I respect what Anthony has to say.
Many of the businesses that had been on Broadway have moved on to the extremely competitive, and yes, expensive, retail environment in Huntington Park. How do I know this? Aside from reading about that trend several years ago, I work in Huntington Park. Here's what I find ironic about the kinds of businesses that Anthony doesn't want to see move to Broadway. They all exist in Huntington Park, side-by-side with mom and pop shops. You should check out Jamba Juice. It's on E. Florence near Alameda. I think that perhaps Anthony you may have too one-dimensional a view of the middle and lower-class market, of the neighborhoods where lower-class and middle-class shoppers shop, and of the sensibilities and life experiences of the people who are moving downtown. That kind of thinking is the same thinking that has prevented decent retail from being established in neighborhoods all over south L.A. Namely, that the "people" don't have the money to spend at even mid-level retail, that they can't sustain commerce at profitable levels for retailers, that the "people" don't have the same wants and desires as upwardly mobile, (and something tells me in your mind, white people-and if that's not the case, forgive me). But I know that none of this is true.
So many of my friends who live all over E. L.A. and South L.A. make the drive to Glendale, Torrance, Long Beach, the Westside, Pasadena, Miracle Mile, etc. to do their high, middle, and low-end shopping. And while I appreciate that you're able to make the same burgers at Umami, the tapas at Lazy Ox, the robata at Takami and the shaomai at ABC, I can't. And neither can many of my friends of many races of many socio-economic levels. And they want to eat at those places and they do. I've lived in this city since I was 17, 26 years now. I know every hole in the wall Oaxacan, Korean, Vietnamese, etc. restaurant from Gardena to the Valley and Sta. Monica to E. L.A. And I appreciate the new takes on these cuisines and the old standbyes, as a gay white male. Don't make assumptions about my ability to discern and what food I like. I know that I stopped making those assumptions about my friends and colleagues in L.A. in my early 20's because they were all off.
I agree with you that a mix of retail is what we should be aiming for. The rents weren't cheap to begin with, when all of the shops were low-end and/or jewelry places, dating back to the 80's. And Broadway adjacent garment district spaces are among the most expensive in the city. For far too long Broadway landlords gouged the mom and pops and did little to upkeep buildings and spaces. The sophisticated Latino market that shopped Broadway for decades moved on to other neighborhoods long ago because the merchandise quality and range of shopping options diminished. They didn't want the type of shopping of which you speak. And check out lease rates in neighborhoods such as HP. You might be very surprised. I think that that city has a model which we can look to for continuing to cultivate a mix of retail and residential downtown, a model which is disparaging and denigrating when it comes to the tastes and wants of people of various cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
Additionally, in addition to the subsidized housing going up downtown (check out the new construction on Main across from the Rowan or the Bristol), there is an abundance of more affordable housing in the neighborhoods ringing Downtown, neighborhoods which will fuel the retail and restaurant scene downtown. My friends in Boyle Heights (gay couples) love access to the Gold Line, party with me downtown, eat downtown, love downtown. They make more money than I do as an administrator for LAUSD. I cannot think of a friend of mine living around USC, in South L.A., or E. L.A. who isn't happy about the changes Downtown. And I have many. They CHOOSE to live in neighborhoods that they live in because they love those neighborhoods. I have some friends who've made the leap downtown, and we're all struggling to make rent and the mortgage. These are real people who live and breathe next to you and me.
I look forward to continuing dialoguing. I believe that there is room for all kinds of visions for our neighborhood. I'm glad that there's room for all of our voices here, individually and collectively.
Sara Jones on January 23, 2011, at 05:53PM – #66
Excellent thoughts Christopher. Thanks for the incite.