Vacant in Garden City: Restaurant, Clothing Boutique Coming to Franklin

There will soon be two less empty Franklin Avenue storefronts as a ladies clothing boutique and restaurant head into the village.

According to building superintendent Mike Filippon, a restaurant called Pancha is coming to the former home of Upper Crust Café. The ladies boutique will open at the corner of Seventh Street and Franklin Avenue, formerly known as McMahon Realty, according to John Wilton, chair of the village's Merchants Committee.

Pancha is going to be a tapas restaurant, according to Wilton, similar to Salumi Tapas and Wine Bar in Massapequa.

Upper Crust Café said goodbye to Garden City in late 2011, another business to fall victim to the ailing economy. The luncheonette turned café called Franklin Avenue home for more than two decades, treating diners to breakfast, lunch and more recently dinner. Ashley and Nicholas Lucchesi, chef, were the cafe's newest owners.

McMahon Realty, Inc. closed its doors a year ago this month. Previously located at 166 Seventh Street, the realty company moved to 679 Franklin Avenue in August 2002, according to Althea Robinson, executive director of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce.

Deputy Mayor John Watras suggested the village petition building owners and merchants to dress up their empty storefronts to make the avenue look more appealing, especially with the holidays approaching.