A Morningside Heights grocery store is preparing to take on an entirely new business venture.
2869 Broadway, situated between The Heights and Pinkberry, on Broadway between 112th and 111th streets, will soon become the site of a two-floor Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar lounge, called Vareli. Under the ownership of current Westside Market owner George Zoitas, Vareli will feature two bars on an upper and lower level, lounge areas, and a wine cellar, as well as a slew of Mediterranean entrees.
The concept originated in June 2008, when Zoitas first purchased what was formerly Academy Hardware. In light of the recession, he put the retail space on the market but was unable to attract any buyers. Newmark Knight Frank Managing Director Ross Kaplan, who represented the Zoitas family through many of their real estate ventures, said that the building required some renovation. Zoitas did repair work, but was unable to get the price he was seeking from prospective tenants. Ultimately, he decided to hold onto the retail space and transform it into a wine bar.
“I live in the neighborhood, and I felt like it didn’t really have a cozy spot because everything at the time was cold and pubbish,” Zoitas said. “There’s no reason anybody should leave here. It should be a destination spot.”
Zoitas said he intends to provide a relaxing, romantic atmosphere for his target clientele of students, professors, and local residents ages 21 to 28, and added that it will not be “a binge-drinking type of atmosphere.”
“It’s going to be a comfortable, cozy place where you can come out ... and have a good meal and a nice glass of wine,” manager Nicholas Belegrinos said.
And it is that type of tranquil environment that Zoitas hopes will set Vareli apart from other bars in the area.
“We’re on a different level from The Heights—we’re not serving Tex-Mex cuisine or margaritas,” said publicist and consultant Steven Hall of the Hall Company, whose public relations company helped Zoitas develop his concept. “And as far as Campo goes, that’s a traditional pizza, pasta, antipasto place, and we’re not serving that either—we’re going to be a little more encompassing in a way that opens up the boundary to represent foods from Spain, Greece, and parts of France,” Hall said.
And while Vareli strives to set itself apart from other local bars, neighborhood businesses are not worried about the prospect of new competition.
“There will be some amount of competition, but we don’t have that business model of going after another competitor,” Jim Ciacci, manager of Campo, said. “We would just increase promotions and change our business model—I anticipate having to change the business model, but that’s okay. That’s the nature of business.”
The Heights likewise plans to keep its operation the same, despite its new next-door neighbor.
“I don’t think that just because another bar opens in the area, it means you have to change what you’re doing,” said Feras Samad, of The Heights. “We feel pretty strongly about our business plan.”
Construction is complete for Vareli, according to Hall, and only the “odds and ends” and “decorative touches” await completion. Zoitas has received all of his permits, and as soon as he receives his liquor license from the State Liquor Authority, the place will open, which Hall anticipates will happen by next Friday.
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