The past two years have not been easy on this city. Thankfully though, a brand new restaurant concept is currently setting up shop that’s trying to make it a little bit easier for all of us to recover from these trying times.
Kalye is an exciting new project from entrepreneur Roberto Mallari-D’Auria and his partner Henry D’Auria. Kalye is all about using the power of food and art to create satisfying and unforgettable experiences, with a particular focus on tasty street food delights. An entirely new concept, Kalye seeks to fuse the world of hospitality and art into one exciting restaurant.
Kalye was born out of a reaction to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Witnessing the slew of shuttered businesses and silent roads had a profound impact on Rob and Henry, who often found themselves wandering around the neighborhoods late and night to witness the changes first-hand. While the pandemic was having a devastating effect on the city and the world at-large, Rob and Henry were inspired by the resilience shown by the millions of New Yorkers who had to come together in order to survive the outbreak.
All across the city, New Yorkers forged a powerful bond with each other as they were forced to rely on their fellow neighbors for support. Rob and Henry witnessed light shining in the darkness, watching New Yorkers set up community pantries for the hungry and join the legions of medical workers to take care of the sick. Even in an era of extreme isolation and distance, New Yorkers came together like never before to lift each other up and create spaces to help each other survive.
And it was this exact spirit of community that inspired Rob and Henry to design Kalye. As they describe it, “Kalye is born out of that mission to bring people together and live their shared experiences.” Partnering with New York food experts, artists, musicians, and fashion designers, Rob and Henry hosted a variety of different galleries and karaoke nights to test out their new concept, and are finally ready to bring their new vision to 249 Broome Street.
Kalye will be taking over the location currently occupied by Zest Sushi, a popular East Village sushi restaurant. According to Kalye’s SLA application, the restaurant will only have standing tables and is not expected to have any seats. Instead the concept will have a series of food counters that will also function as bars, and is expected to serve light street snacks like dumplings, pierogis, and spring rolls. Robert describes Kalye as a youthful enterprise that aims to “support individuals who wish to express themselves through their craft and create happier experiences for us all.” While the Kalye team is still putting the finishing touches on their menu before announcing their grand opening, you can subscribe to their newsletter on their website to receive regular updates on the progress of the restaurant.
