NYC Food Trucks.

One would think that to a retail leasing firm such as ourselves, the modern day food truck would in fact be quite the nuisance.

Why? you ask.

Well there are two ways to look at a food truck from the business perspective of a real estate firm:

 

1. They don’t pay rent.
2. They don’t pay rent, yet.

In order for a food truck to legally operate on the streets of this great city, they must first register with the NYC Department of Health which has absolutely nothing to do with us.

However, if said food truck would like to expand their establishment beyond the confines of a tool-shed on wheels, we have the know-how to help bring their business into the brick and mortar world.

So we love food trucks!

No matter which way you look at it, it’s nearly impossible to deny a good cupcake when it rolls up right in front of your office:

The PB&J, from the Cupcake Crew on 26th and Park

If you own or operate a food truck and would like to know more information about opening up a retail shop, let us know!

-Jerry

[Stay updated on the location of the Cupcake Crew via twitter - twitter.com/cupcakecrewnyc]

The Blue Roost Petite Cafe is Open for Business !!!

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We wish Billy and Linda the absolute best of luck with the opening of their brand new cafe.

The Blue Roost Petit Cafe

539 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn

Q Train to Prospect Park

P.S.- You have to try the cupcakes.

-Jerry

Cupcakes Replace Hot Dogs?

New York is known for its street food– soft pretzels, roasted peanuts, and of course, hot dogs. But now the trendiest dessert may be taking over. Gourmet cupcake baker Gina Ojile just gained permission to sell her baked goods on the street in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Washington Square Park. She is currently testing her venture, Cake & Shake, right now in Astoria, Queens.

The solar powered, all organic, cupcake and milkshake carts will sell $3 cakes and $5 milkshakes made with real fruit. The Washington Square cart is expected to start vending at the end of April, and the Met cart will make their debut two months later. Will cupcakes replace hot dogs as the ultimate NYC street food? As a vegetarian, I’d take a cupcake over a hot dog any day!

-Caitlin

Germany introduces NYC cupcakes

German McDonald’s created cupcakes inspired by four New York City neighborhoods– Chelsea, East Village, Soho, and Central Park. Each dessert is designed to show the characteristics of the neighborhood, with a picture of a Manhattanite to go along with it. Let’s take a look.

Central Park: Central Park’s cupcake is strawberry flavored, and the ad shows a girl with an assymetrical haircut with the tip to enjoy a “Central Park Moment.”

Chelsea: Chocolate cake and chocolate frosting, and the ad depicts a young guy in a rumpled shirt and jeans telling you to relax by the harbor or sit by the lake.

Soho: A vanilla cupcake for Soho, but what I’m more confused about is the girl’s outfit. Why is she wearing bootcut jeans and  Dillard’s-style separates?

East Village: Cappuccino cupcake. A hipsterish guy in the ad says something about the great art in the neighborhood, including a mention of Andy Warhol.

-Caitlin

Free PINK Cupcakes

Victoria's Secret Pink store coming to Soho (Picture Via Racked)

In celebration of the new Victoria’s Secret PINK store opening in Soho on Saturday, the brand has teamed up with the Cupcake Stop truck for the next three days. The truck will be popping up in various locations handing out vanilla buttercream frosted cupcakes in a shade of pink designed specifically for Victoria’s Secret PINK. Today and tomorrow VS will also be selling their new merchandise alongside the truck.

The schedule:

Thursday, March 11:

2:30-4pm Williamsburg- At Bedford Avenue between N. 5th and N. 11th Streets

5-7:30pm Fort Greene- Near the Atlantic Terminal Mall (139 Flatbush Avenue)

Friday, March 12:

12-2:30pm 38th St. and 5th Avenue

3-5pm 23rd St. and 5th Avenue

Saturday, March 13:

8:30am-2:30pm In front of the Soho store between Broadway and Prince

Manly Cupcakes

Butch Bakery's new manly cupcakes

I suppose there is something slightly effeminate about ordering a cupcake dolloped with  pink frosting and sprinkles. Thanks to Butch Bakery, started by a former Wall Street-er, cupcakes can be masculine. Each cupcake is topped with a chocolate disk with one of these six designs: Woodland Camo, Wood Grain, Houndstooth, Plaid, Checkerboard, or Marble. The flavors are more “manly” too… like rum-soaked Madagascar vanilla cake and cola Bavarian cream and maple cake with milk chocolate ganache and bacon bits. Who would have thought we would see a rum and coke or meat-topped cake! The cupcakes are available for delivery in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, but they have plans to open storefronts in the future. Visit the website and place your order.

-Caitlin

Madison Square Market Now Open!

Madison Square Market

Take a walk down to Madison Square Park today until November 1st and enjoy the Madison Square Market. In flea market style, the park is lined with tents selling food, jewelry, clothing, and other goods. I took a trip today to scout out the area. The food portion is peddling everything from $6 bags of honey crisp apples, to the most fashionable dessert of the moment, cupcakes. Restaurants from all over the city are participating, including Fatty Crab, Viking Danish Cuisine, Wafels and Dinges, Cabrito, Suzette, Hill Country Barbecue Market, and even Ben and Jerry’s.  Fatty Crab overflowed with people, with a lunch time line stretching across the area. Before you leave, make sure to try a sample of Breezy Hill Orchard’s fresh apple cider or purchase a pumpkin.

As for shopping, I noticed a couple recurring trends, one being a large selection of recycled items.  Bags constructed out of recycled paper and plastic, and Nahui  Ollin had handbags made solely from candy wrappers. Angelic glass, just a few tents away had a variety of vases made from old glass bottles, the perfect way to add a vintage appeal to your apartment.

If you are looking for gorgeous handmade jewelry, this is the place to stop. A selection of distinctive pieces created with stones, silver, gold plating, and colorful beads, the market is brimming with jeweled accessories. The most common trend I spotted was charm necklaces. Usually a gold or silver chain with a single tiny charm at the end, maybe a small owl, pinecone, bird, or heeled shoe.

The market is open from 11am-8pm daily, and may be the best place to start your holiday shopping!

Remember: Click again to resize pictures

-Caitlin 

Madison Square Market

Viking Danish Cuisine

Standing in front of Suzette, who was selling wine and baked goods

GIANT line at Fatty Crab!

In the Breezy Hill Orchard pumpkin house

Angelic Glass recycled vases

Bags constructed from recycled paper and plastic

City art

Handbags made of candy wrappers

Statement gifts and funky accessories

Selection of charm necklaces

Butter Lane Cupcakes, made from local organic dairy

A Craving for Cupcakes

In order to properly celebrate my birthday this past weekend, I needed some overly fancy, intricately decorated baked goods. While I usually ignore any food that is not organic, soy, whole-grain, vegan or gluten-free, my boyfriend in his infinite wisdom reasoned that since it is my birthday, it is okay to consume refined sugar one day. I guess I could agree with that.

We were in the East Village, apparently a place where cupcakes are so “in” right now. Customers line up for their own personal strawberry, buttercream, or banana frosted cake. Not far from Besen Retail’s space for lease, 83 East 7th Street, sits an adorable bake shop, the Black Hound. We stood outside the window for 17 minutes staring and pointing at the pasteries as if they were doing magic tricks with their white chocolate drizzle.

“Look at that one!” I breathed, pointing at a coconut covered, chocolate frosted tower.

“Nah, I’m not crazy about the coconut. I would eat that one,” he gestured to swirly strawberry raspberry chocolate mound. When we finally regained our composure we headed into the shop. I sampled the chocolate coconut cake from the window and then paced around murmuring about how I didn’t know what to get. He had his eye on a thick, fudgey brownie.

While I had decided I would spring for something completely unhealthy, I couldn’t help but order the honey cake, filled with semi-nutritious lumps of nuts and raisins. The Black Hound not only offers cupcakes, cookies, and pasteries, but also has a selection of chocolates and candy, including almond petals, hazlenut brittle, and assorted truffles. They have also contructed gift baskets stuffed with ribbon adroned boxes of cookies and candies, which make the perfect ”happy belated birthday” present for any twenty-three year old Besen Retail blogger you might know. Just a hint.

-Caitlin