How do these PS businesses stay open?

joanjettofarc

"Jerri, where did you get your pants?" "The Comfort Zone."

I think it's Turkish food.


They sound equally appealing.

rose

A while ago, people on the Park Slope Parents list were complaining about being ordered to leave the Comfort Zone if they had been sitting for "too long" with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine -- even if the place was otherwise empty. It seemed that the management didn't want it to turn into a hanging-out kind of place and it sounds like they have succeeded all too well.

Good information about Tonio's -- my kids love that kind of food; they think Aunt Suzie's is the best restaurant ever.

carnivore

Rose wrote: A while ago, people on the Park Slope Parents list were complaining about being ordered to leave the Comfort Zone if they had been sitting for "too long" with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine -- even if the place was otherwise empty. It seemed that the management didn't want it to turn into a hanging-out kind of place and it sounds like they have succeeded all too well.

Good information about Tonio's -- my kids love that kind of food; they think Aunt Suzie's is the best restaurant ever.

Hilarious. If they didn't want it to turn into a "hanging out kind of place," why would they possibly call it "Comfort Zone?"

anonymous

8thandPrez wrote: I've always been mystified by the Microchip Cafe. Their original space on 7th (now occupied by Sweet Melissa) was as bleak as could be. I was shocked to discover they merely relocated across the street!

Actually, Szechuan Delight used to be in that space about 20 years ago. Since they moved, it's been one after another of really poor businesses that haven't really lasted more than a year or two.

miriam

I used to live on 7th Ave betw 15th and 16th Streets.
The Computer Cafe was always puzzling, but what about the space across the street a little further down. It was a cigar store, I think. Then a nice Italian restaurant, then that closed too and it was just closed forever in between and since.
Does anyone know what that is about?
I have not been up there in a while, so I don't know if something opened.

What about those tarot card/palm reading places?? How can they survive with no costumers and $5 per reading????

rose

miriam wrote: what about the space across the street a little further down. It was a cigar store, I think. Then a nice Italian restaurant, then that closed too and it was just closed forever in between and since.
Does anyone know what that is about?
I have not been up there in a while, so I don't know if something opened.

What about those tarot card/palm reading places?? How can they survive with no costumers and $5 per reading????

I live around the corner from there but I can't think what space you mean . . . . There was Max & Moritz several years ago -- really nice restaurant that pre-dated the whole 5th Avenue restaurant scene. Then there was a health-foody kind of restaurant in that space that lasted about a month and now it's Anthony's. I don't remember a cigar store ever being on that block. There used to be a very nice locksmith in the space where Baby Bird is now. :x Maybe we are talking about different blocks though.

There's a fortune teller in the building next to Steinhof. She's dropped her prices quite a bit since she went into business there, but I can't imagine that she gets many customers. Maybe the occasional drunk coming out of Steinhof or Bar 4, but otherwise it doesn't seem like the best location.

shishkab

miriam wrote: I used to live on 7th Ave betw 15th and 16th Streets.
The Computer Cafe was always puzzling, but what about the space across the street a little further down. It was a cigar store, I think. Then a nice Italian restaurant, then that closed too and it was just closed forever in between and since.
Does anyone know what that is about?
I have not been up there in a while, so I don't know if something opened.

nope, believe it or not that space is still closed up, and i haven't seen any movement there in forever. it's unfortunate, cuz it's a nice sized place and could be something great.

rose

Oh! I just figured out what space you mean. Yeah, it was a bar at one point, the kind of bar with big couches. It had a really cheesy name that I can't think of. That didn't last long. Then part of it became a really dreadful pizza place that lasted about a month. And it's been vacant since then, must be at least five years.

steve

I think it's infested with pigeons too...

laura

miriam wrote: What about those tarot card/palm reading places?? How can they survive with no costumers and $5 per reading????

I believe all those folks operate out of the same place they live. Plus, they get suckers to shell out $$$ to get their bad luck fixed after the initial $5 reading.

botanic

laura wrote: [quote=miriam]What about those tarot card/palm reading places?? How can they survive with no costumers and $5 per reading????

I believe all those folks operate out of the same place they live. Plus, they get suckers to shell out $$$ to get their bad luck fixed after the initial $5 reading.

I've been a wiseass a few times (a la Steven Wright) when they've said "would you like a psychic reading for $5?" and I say "You're psychic, what do YOU think I'm going to say to that?". :twisted:

idlewild

miriam wrote: What about those tarot card/palm reading places?? How can they survive with no costumers and $5 per reading????

The tarot card/palm reading places throughout NYC are run by a few Gypsy/Rumanian mobs. I used to pick up the head guy of one of those familias when I drove for a local car service. They're fronts. They'd make an occasional score with a mark who'd pay a few thousand for a reading but mostly they're fronts for whatever income isn't being earned legally or tht's not ebing reported.

anonymous

Subject: Comfort Zone

I think you're all wrong about Comfort Zone. Okay, the name is bad and its not often packed, but its a great place to get lunch. Their Turkish Sandwich is the best sandwich in the neighborhood. Plus they have lots of little treats to go with the coffee. The owner is very nice and I can't blame her if she doesn't want lots of people hanging out on their computers not buying anything. (Free wireless for customers)
I have read people complaining about Tea Lounge and Ozzies being too packed with people who sit on their computers all day taking up all the tables and not buying anything. Well for all of you, here is a perfect alternative. It is not full of strollers or computers.
Slow service, don't go there if you are in a hurry. But otherwise, my personal favorite place to eat lunch and have coffee in Park Slope.
Please give her another chance, I'd be heart brooken if she didn't stay in business. I'd mourn the loss of our only Turkish coffee house.

erikka

I spoke to one of the waitresses at the Atlantic Av. branch of Brawta and asked if the 7th Av. branch is closed. She said they were currently renovating and it would reopen soon. But you gotta wonder how they're paying rent on what must be a very expensive storefront--it's been MONTHS now.

HURRY UP, I WANT SOME FREAKING ROTI and I don't want to go all the way to Church or Atlantic to get it!

rose

Subject: Re: Comfort Zone

Anonymous wrote: I think you're all wrong about Comfort Zone. Okay, the name is bad and its not often packed, but its a great place to get lunch. Their Turkish Sandwich is the best sandwich in the neighborhood. Plus they have lots of little treats to go with the coffee. The owner is very nice and I can't blame her if she doesn't want lots of people hanging out on their computers not buying anything. (Free wireless for customers)
I have read people complaining about Tea Lounge and Ozzies being too packed with people who sit on their computers all day taking up all the tables and not buying anything. Well for all of you, here is a perfect alternative. It is not full of strollers or computers.
Slow service, don't go there if you are in a hurry. But otherwise, my personal favorite place to eat lunch and have coffee in Park Slope.
Please give her another chance, I'd be heart brooken if she didn't stay in business. I'd mourn the loss of our only Turkish coffee house.

Well, yeah, I have complained about people who take up a table all day at Naidres with a long-dried-up cup of coffee. In that situation, I do think it would be appropriate to ask the person to move on if there are people waiting for tables. But the people complaining about Comfort Zone were saying that the place was otherwise empty. And there is supposedly a sign saying that if you sit there for more than an hour, they will charge you rent for the space. Which is hard to reconcile with slow service. And it seems to me that if they want people to eat and get out, they are sending mixed messages with couches and free wifi.

xueling

I find Java to be geared towards Western palates rather than sticking with the authentic Indonesian tastes, but I still have gone there since there is no other Indonesian around. I like the people who run it because they remind me of my Indonesian relatives.

anonymous

Subject: Comfort Zopne packing it up?

funny enough this morning it looked like Comfort Zone was totally getting packed up, as if its closing.

8thandprez

Subject: Re: Comfort Zopne packing it up?

dudahustle wrote: funny enough this morning it looked like Comfort Zone was totally getting packed up, as if its closing.

Yowza. Based on what Anonymous wrote, I'd be sorry but not surprised if it was indeed closing. I've always heard that something like 90% of all restaurants fail in the first year. I think a lot of that has to do with lack of skills in determining demand for a particular product and in correctly positiioning and marketing your product to the customers. The name of the place has a HUGE effect on how it's perceived. ComfortZone, as a name, doesn't tell me anything and definitely doesn't tell me to expect a casual cafe with a mix of Turkish food and standard cafe fare.

j0518

Microchip Cafe's new space really is just a techie support site. Stopped in there once and saw nothing but computers....

what about Calexico Mexican Restaurant on 5th and Park, perhaps? sometimes i think it may be a hidden gem, but mostly assume it's a dump.

anonymous

Subject: Can't be everything to everybody

I live in the strip of 5th Ave between Comfort Lounge, the Drama Cafe. The main problem I see with thee joints is that they present themselves as a place for everyone with everything.

You want some coffee - we got that.

You want pastries - got that.

You want wine and cheese - got that

Want a hookah - got that

The end result is that I don't actually want do anything there. Pick a niche and go with it.

by the way, the wines at these places are very low end. The owners, I suspect, don't the first thing about wine. Some wine distributer probably came by with his stock list and the they bought X number of bottles. I had a hilarious conversationa at Drama once about German rieslings and the def. of the german labels. Funny - but I was also fully convinced they didn't have a clue. Also does anyone remember the very odd sign at Comfort - "Come in for Chilean wines and Turkish food" (???). I guess they goty sold a bug passel of chilean wine.

Drama however has a lot of potential in the right hands. It is set up to be a pretty cool bar in of itself. Some one with a clue should take it over sucessfully. Good luck though - the landloard of the buidling above owns the joint. That place will likely iive long in zombie mode.

Perch on the othhr hand seems to have captured the everything to everyone concept successfully. Any guesses as to how??

the chipster

Yes! At Perch everything is MEDIOCRE!!

anonymous

Subject: cyber cafe

yeah, that cyber cafe on 7th btwn 14 and 15th is the worst coffee shop i think i've ever been to. they were out of a bunch of things that were on the menu, unfriendly and the internet is wayyy overpriced. they charge for wireless but you can acutally steal it from elsewhere, little do they know....
don't go there, parco is right nearby and very cute.

twhalliii

Walking past Comfort Zone on the way to get coffee... The sign is coming down and looks like they have re-named the place something else. The interior looks the same, nothing packed up, but a new name it looks like. Wonder if it will help... We went there the other night and it was fine for two beers and doing a little work. Nice bartender.So many options in the neighborhood though... needs something to stand out.

anonymous

Subject: Businesses Staying Open?

And what about Grecian Corner? I've maybe been there twice in 10 years. I recomend the hockey-puck burger. From the looks of the place, money is the only thing being laundered there.

And I think before that Internet Cafe place on 7th and 1st there was a card store.

At the current location of the new mini-Zuzu's petals on Berkeley, before Journey Home there had been a sports-equipmernt store or some such place that never had customers and was most unfriendly. Maybe they were laundering Grecian Corner's money for them.....

dw438

Subject: Re: Businesses Staying Open?

Mr. Pants wrote: And what about Grecian Corner? I've maybe been there twice in 10 years. I recomend the hockey-puck burger. From the looks of the place, money is the only thing being laundered there.

And I think before that Internet Cafe place on 7th and 1st there was a card store.

At the current location of the new mini-Zuzu's petals on Berkeley, before Journey Home there had been a sports-equipmernt store or some such place that never had customers and was most unfriendly. Maybe they were laundering Grecian Corner's money for them.....

Second the Greasy Corner. Owner's a major putz, too -- doesnt pay his bills to his landlord.

alafairnadia

Dear Guest,

Please STOP spamming the board slamming one particular establishment. if you have a legit beef, please post ONCE. not 3 times with different guest handles.

thank you,
Mods

p.s. if you register, I won't ever have to call you out in "public" again.

doctorj

Incidentally, Computer Cafe (and a couple of others) performed a vital role for me in the complex chain of events and hurdles and bootstrapping involved in moving to this country and finding a place to live. If you have no credit history, no home, no SSN, no US ID, no bank account, no phone, no blackberry, no laptop, but dollars in your pocket, such places suddenly become extremely valuable.

anonymous

Java is an odd place.

Love the idea - love indonesian food, love the family business feel. (right down to the 'clean up your plate' nagging)

But in practice... food is good, but seems somewhat mutated from the original indonesian. The room/decor is a bit sterile/uninviting.

All in all, unlike most other places I frequent, I don't feel drawn or tempted to eat there - I almost have to force myself to consider the option, and I'll go to support the family business, and to add to my usual mix/rotation of restos.

I'm never unhappy leaving there (or finishing my take-out), but rarely thrilled.

babsanne

I actually know the owner of the computer cafe and my best friend works there. They get a lot of business on the weekends and during the morning coffee rush. If I may say so, the mirabelle hot cocoa they sell is delicious.

anonymous

Thats funny, I know the owner of computer caf'e too. She is really sweet and would probably be most receptive to suggestions