Business & Tech

RoTico Latest Victim of Ailing Economy

Garden City loses another business during these trying times, with two more on the verge.

RoTico Rotisserie Cafe & Catering, which only opened in December 2008, is the latest business to fall victim to the economic downturn, leaving yet another vacant storefront on Seventh Street.

The plight of the Garden City business community is serious. Nearly a dozen stores have closed this past year and two more may be on the verge, according to John Wilton, chair of the Garden City Merchants Group, a grassroots subcommittee of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce working together to "keep Garden City and its unique assortment of quality businesses strong and healthy."

"We are at the intersection of need and in some cases desperation," he said.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The village's food/restaurant industry saw a decrease of almost 25 percent in some cases during February, according to Wilton.

"Obviously weather related but also consistent with the patterns in December and January," he said. "There is a downward trend in the expenditure funds for food."

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Vacancies on Franklin Avenue seem to growing as well though Wilton noted that several are seeing "brokerage/landlord activity.

"One of the landlords just executed a lease at 35 percent below the current market rate," he said. "This landlord, on their own accord, stepped up to the plate, interacted with a tenant who came in and said, 'look this is what the village is carrying as the current market rate.'"

To further help drum up more foot traffic for local merchants, the subcommittee is currently working on a rewards program that would benefit both the business owner and the consumer, through a cumulative points basis similar to what American Express offers. 

"The benefit to the program as it's generically lined out right now is that the merchant would be rewarded as well as the consumer," he said. "This would be for people who are members of the chamber and non-members of the chamber."

Trustee Dennis Donnelly, liaison to the business community, praised Wilton's commitment to the cause.

"I think John has exhibited great patience and leadership in trying to get this group together for the benefit of the village," he said. "This is the first time we've had a specifically focused merchants group. And it's a very diverse group of merchants, which I'm sure John can tell you, who don't necessarily agree on anything other than they'd like more business."

Trustee John Watras, who works on 54th and Madison in Manhattan, said Strawberry, which owns Pay Half, is closing after 75 years in business.

"I tried to find out what was going on but it's a very closely held company," he said.

Wilton, who received an e-mail relaying the same news, agreed. "They are very guarded. I have no information. I did not reach out yet but I will," he said.

Located at 910 Franklin Avenue, Pay Half secured a "very low rent for an extended period of time," according to Mayor Robert Rothschild, who served as a member of the village's Business Planning Coalition.

"They apparently drew enough business to stay in business," he said. 

Despite the hefty rents needed to secure space along Garden City's "Main Streets," the desire to do business downtown remains strong.

Wilton, who works for Garden City Properties, said a lease has been executed for 150 Seventh Street, where an eatery called Pure Burger will eventually open, and a pharmacy is slated for 152 Seventh Street; that lease execution was expected March 8.

The Garden City Shoe Shop has a lease pending, though Wilton did not specify what type of business would be coming to the area, and a physical training/exercise establishment is expected to replace Mahalo on Franklin Avenue.

Not trying to burst anyone's bubble, Building Superintendent Mike Filippon noted that all three pending leases (the two on Seventh and one on Franklin) are currently before the village's Board of Zoning Appeals, which meets March 23 at 7:30 p.m. in village hall.

"Every one of those requires a use variance," Filippon said. "And the restaurant unfortunately cannot meet the parking requirements."

He added, "I can't predict what the outcome is going to be."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here