One of New York’s finest new restaurateurs is getting ready to expand into the wonderful world of fast food.
Mike Himani is well-known in the city as a highly respected restaurateur. He was behind the popular Greek restaurant Nisi on 47th Street, as well as Penn Station’s fast-casual Chickpea concept. Most recently, we broke the news of his latest restaurant, Ixta, which took over Daniel Bouloud’s former DBGB space. Since launching at the end of October, Ixta has quickly established itself as one of the Bowery’s favorite new Mexican restaurants and mezcal bars.
Now, it appears that Himani is getting ready to expand his restaurant empire by entering the fast-food world. As reported by the Commercial Observer, Himani has just secured a 12-year deal to open a brand new Wendy’s at 462 Seventh Avenue. Located at the corner of Seventh Avenue and West 35th Street, the location boasts 6,978 square feet of space and is located less than a block away from the bustling Penn Station.
The location was previously occupied by Bread and Butter, a popular buffet-style eatery that offered a wide assortment of different dishes. Sadly, the seventh avenue Bread and butter closed last year, but the eatery still operates a few locations successfully across the city. The new Wendy’s will bring the total number of Manhattan Wendy’s to 12.
But that’s not all! Beyond his new Wendy’s expansion, Himani is also expected to launch a brand new restaurant of his own design in the neighboring storefront. According to the Observer, Himani has secured another lease for a storefront at 462 Seventh Avenue, where he plans to open an as-yet-unnamed birria taco spot. The second location boasts a total 3,170 square feet of space and was once home to Hale and Hearty Soups, who shuttered all of their New York City locations last year.
Kaufman President Steven Kaufman said in a statement that the new deal “Represents the continued growth and success of the retail and restaurant industry in New York City,” adding that “especially along Seventh Avenue, we have been seeing retail leases be filled quickly by strong, national tenants.”
While Himani has not yet indicated an opening timeline for either of his new restaurants, you can visit his recently-launched restaurant Ixta to get a sense of his style and taste.
