Three Out of Five Ain't Bad

By Lois Weiss

Published on September 19, 2007

Two more of the five street-level retail spaces in The New York Times Building at 620 Eighth Avenue will soon be occupied by two new restaurants. Dean & DeLuca signed up for close to 3,200 sf for its seventh Dean & DeLuca Café in New York. Inakaya, a “robatayaki”-style restaurant known for its grilling, will lease approximately 3,000 sf for its first American eatery. Both will open during the first half of 2008.

Office space in the 52-story tower is now approximately 86% leased.

The Dean & DeLuca Café will be located at the corner of 40th Street and Eighth Avenue and have seating for 60. Dean & DeLuca was represented by Candice Dobbs of Dobbs Associates.
Inakaya will be located at 40th Street and Eighth Avenue— next door to MUJI, the Japanese retailer that is already leasing approximately 5,000 sf. Inakaya now operates three restaurants in Tokyo. Inakaya was represented by Naomi Okada of the Okada International in the lease negotiations.

Forest City Ratner represented itself in both negotiations.

The New York Times Building will hold its grand opening in late fall 2007. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, the building is located between 40th and 41st Streets on Eighth Avenue, and is topped by a 300-foot steel rooftop mast bringing its height to 1,046 feet.

The Times Company owns floors 2 through 27 and Forest City Ratner owns floors 29 through 50 and floor 52, as well as 21,000 sf of retail space on the ground floor. Floors 28 and 51 are jointly owned by the Times Company and Forest City.