Loading ...Restaurants, Real Estate, Discuss
Posted by Kirsten Henri on March 11th, 2008
We found this very loquacious listing for the space that was once Deux Cheminees. A morsel:
The lease includes a LIQUOR LICENSE, four dining rooms and up to 125 seats in a revered location, tables, chairs, china & glassware, two enormous walk-in freezers, and kitchen and prep areas complete with fully-functioning equipment. Sign the lease today and SERVE DINNER/DRINKS TOMORROW. All that’s needed is a visionary restauranteur whose personal touch and culinary acumen will begin a new chapter in the annals of restaurant history.
Paging Shola Olunloyo! Unfortunately, former chef/owner Fritz Blank’s amazing cookbook library does not come with the space, but a Frank Furness mansion with Mercer-tiled fireplaces, leaded stained glass and walnut paneling? Yes, please.
Related Tags: Deux-Cheminees, restaurant-yenta, shola-olunloyo
March 11th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I think that space may be a little too old-style for Shola, but here’s hoping..
March 12th, 2008 at 11:25 am
How funny !
I got 20 e mails telling me about this post.
I already purchased a huge chunk of his Library last year.
Your “purchase and start serving food tommorow” theory is a recipe for failure, the first rule of taking over restaurants is to create your own Identity or you get lost in history and nostalgia or ad-nauseum discussions such as if Bryan and Amy were better than you as Ross Essner did.
At the very minimum you would have to change the name and gut/somewhat mordernize the interior to the tune of well over $1M.
Certainly old and new can co-exist if you see Ducasse’s Plaza Athenee restaurant or GILT at the Villard Mansion.
Assuming you even had the cash and were inclined to spend it, since it is as you describe it as a “Frank Furness mansion with Mercer-tiled fireplaces, leaded stained glass and walnut paneling”, you cannot even exhale in the building without calling the historical commission.
Trust me you would rather have a root canal without anaesthesia than renovate a historic building in Philadelphia.
Some rich dude should buy Deux Cheminees for his bored 2nd wife who wants to run the best bed and breakfast/Inn/microtel in town.
It would be perfect for that.
Seriously.