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Sneak Peek Inside Fulton Mall Arby's

Categories: Downtown Brooklyn, Streetlevel

The much-anticipated opening of Arby's inside the interior-landmarked space at 372 Fulton Street is scheduled for next Thursday, but we were able to get a look yesterday. Overall, we have to say that the owner and his architects did a really great job at integrating a fast food restaurant into one of the most posh and historic restaurant interiors in the city. We might have gone with some different fabrics on the banquettes, but now we're just nit-picking.

By Brownstoner at January 15, 2010 10:30 AM | Comments (33)

33 Comments

By Joe from Brooklyn on January 15, 2010 10:33 AM

Wow...

By MAT on January 15, 2010 10:34 AM

What an extremely disgusting waste of a great space. Arbys? Are you fucking joking?

By daveinbedstuy on January 15, 2010 10:38 AM

I agree, MAT but that location won't cover a Morton's or something more upscale.

By Joe from Brooklyn on January 15, 2010 10:38 AM

I was being both sarcastic AND serious. Posting here is adding new layers of complexity to my snarkiness...

By tybur6 on January 15, 2010 10:38 AM

MAT -- you probably should have rented it instead.

By MAT on January 15, 2010 10:40 AM

Enjoy you shitbeef, Tybur

By Butterfly on January 15, 2010 10:43 AM

quote:
What an extremely disgusting waste of a great space. Arbys? Are you fucking joking?

lol

i LOVE it. ill never in a million years eat there, but i LOVE it.

suck it, snobs!

*rob*

By slopette on January 15, 2010 10:43 AM

Can someone pleeeease fix it so my browser doesn't resize every time I click on a picture? It really makes me never want to look at pics on Brownstoner...

By 11217 on January 15, 2010 10:50 AM

I actually think that's pretty cool.

You all sound like a bunch of communists. If Arby's was the only one to step up to the plate and pay the rent, then stfu.

Otherwise YOU should have gone and rented the space.

I think it looks quite cool inside and while I may never eat there, I won't be surprised to hear this is the highest grossing Arbys in the chain this time next year.

Mmmmm....roast beef.

By Butterfly on January 15, 2010 10:52 AM

how could a place that specializes in roast beef, not have curtains tho?

*rob*

By Nomi on January 15, 2010 10:52 AM

Yeah, you Communist pigs!

It is weird, though.

By Joe from Brooklyn on January 15, 2010 10:53 AM

"You all sound like a bunch of communists."

-11217

Sounding very 11209 today I see...

By Montrose Morris on January 15, 2010 10:54 AM

Looks pretty good to me. Kudos to Arby's for taking on the project and working within the restrictions of landmarking. The result will be, as 11217 said, probably the highest grossing Arby's around. The extra money spent will be recouped in no time. There are literally thousands of new customers in the area, and if their salads and wraps are decent, they will do even better, profit wise.

As I said before, since no one else "better" stepped up, I'm glad the building will be maintained and protected.

By daveinbedstuy on January 15, 2010 10:55 AM

Most Communists throughout the world have never had the opportunity to taste roast beef.


"The problem with Socialism (and Communism ed.) is that eventually you run out of other people's money."

By tybur6 on January 15, 2010 11:00 AM

MAT -- The only part of Arby's I like is the Arby's Sauce. Oh man that's delicious stuff.

But, honestly, I don't care who rented this place. As long as someone rented it. You seem to want some magical synergy between this space and a high-end restaurant (on the Fulton Mall no less). So.... if you think that was such a great idea, you should have rented this place and opened a restaurant. Unfortunately NO ONE ELSE thought this was a profitable idea, thus Arby's.

So suck on that.

By mopar on January 15, 2010 11:01 AM

Do you suppose the sheer number of people and the casual nature of a fast-food restaurant will destroy the physical space? A McDonalds is built out of plastic and metal and looks pretty shabby after a short while.

Check out those gasoliers.

By Petebklyn on January 15, 2010 11:06 AM

If you call what Arby's serves roast beef then you probably buy into all that capitalism nonsense propaganda.

By daveinbedstuy on January 15, 2010 11:07 AM

I agree, mopar. the crowd that eats at fast food joints like this has little regard for their surroundings. Most Mcdonalds and other places are an absolute wreck after a short time.

By herkimermaid on January 15, 2010 11:35 AM

my heart just broke a little :(

By Montrose Morris on January 15, 2010 11:42 AM

Hopefully, there are provisions in Arby's deal with Landmarks that insist on the upkeep of the historical part of the interior, and that they have staff on the lookout for toddlers trying to decorate the walls with soda. Or so-called adults, too, for that matter.

By eh on January 15, 2010 11:49 AM

@rob...curtains lol. I don't like Arby's but I'm totally going to eat here once.

By Nomi on January 15, 2010 12:05 PM

Here's something. I have never eaten at an Arby's. Not on principle, exactly. Just never happened.

By Minard Lafever on January 15, 2010 12:08 PM

Montrose, I do not believe that there is a provision in the landmarks law that insists on proper upkeep other than perhaps a prohibition of demolition through total neglect.
I accept that this is what it is. Hopefully Arby's will be more successful than TGIF Fridays, which was the last tenant. A succession of fast food restaurants in this dainty Victorian interior can't be so great, but the real problem I think is that the rest of the building is totally vacant. Financially only the ground floor is viable. Its not the most reassuring situation. But it is what it is.


By Montrose Morris on January 15, 2010 12:32 PM

Minard, what's upstairs now? The last time I was up on the second floor, it was restaurant dining space for G&T, so you know how long ago that was. Was there office or living space above?

By bxgrl on January 15, 2010 12:35 PM

Gage and Tollner used the second floor also- its lovely with a big fireplace. Hopefully someone will make use of it, although I don't imagine apartments would be feasible. I'm glad someone took it over, but like herkimer maid, it does break the heart a little. I hope Arby's does well- it would be great for downtown.

By Minard Lafever on January 15, 2010 12:50 PM

G&T used the second and third floors as event space and private dining. At one point the top floor was a combination office and living space but that was all grandfahered. Fire codes make it challenging to develop the upper floors without taking space away from the ground floor, which is where the money is. It is a problem up and down Fulton Mall. The rent per sq. ft. of the ground floor retail is all that landlords are interested in. Above the first floor it is a ghost town.

By Montrose Morris on January 15, 2010 1:35 PM

I know, Minard, and that's a shame. All that space in some great buildings, literally rotting away. In many of them there isn't even any way to get up there, since they closed off the stairs to give the stores more square footage. A real shame and wasted opportunity.

By Minard Lafever on January 15, 2010 2:24 PM

Montrose: exactly!

By BSD on January 15, 2010 2:38 PM

My heart pitter-pats for Horsey Sauce and Jamocha milkshakes.

By Petebklyn on January 15, 2010 3:37 PM

a nail salon (what else?) opened upstairs from the restaurant(I'm being generous calling Arby's a restaurant). The family that owned/ran the restaurant did live above it but not sure whether the 2nd or 3rd floor (or both). I forget when they sold.

By jessibaby on January 15, 2010 4:28 PM

BSD - thanks for the info on the Jamocha Shake. Sounds fab and at 610 calories, I can make that work. YUM!

By MAT on January 15, 2010 6:02 PM

hah. I don't live nearby. I really have no love of the hood, the street or the building to lose or gain. It just seemed so pathetic. Whatever. I just love how defensive people can get. 'why don't youuuu rent it huh?' neeenerneenermyeeeaaah.

By Big Jugs on January 15, 2010 9:14 PM

If MAT and the other naysayers had done a better job of supporting Gage and Tollner, perhaps we wouldn't be having this debate. I agree that it looks great and having Arby's there is better than having it sit empty. I'm sure it'll do well.

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