Blue Marble Flagship Store To Close
The rising rents of Atlantic Avenue have claimed another victim: Blue Marble Ice Cream, whose flagship store opened at 420 Atlantic Avenue back in 2007, will be moving out in the coming weeks, a result of the landlord’s efforts to raise the rent. “We’re very sad to leave the neighborhood, especially since this was shop…
The rising rents of Atlantic Avenue have claimed another victim: Blue Marble Ice Cream, whose flagship store opened at 420 Atlantic Avenue back in 2007, will be moving out in the coming weeks, a result of the landlord’s efforts to raise the rent. “We’re very sad to leave the neighborhood, especially since this was shop our ‘first-born,'” said founder Alexis Miesen in an email, “but we were left with no alternative.” Ice cream fanatics need not totally despair though: Blue Marble’s other stores on Court and Underhill are going strong—and you can always get a scoop at The Flea on Saturdays! You can see the $3,500-a-month listing for the new space here, though, from what we hear, 900 square feet might be overstating the case a bit.
NOOOOOOOO!!! This is terrible news!!!
DIBS, I suspect landlords require personal guarantee on the lease – unless one is a big known profitable corporation. 3 yr lease is about right. issue is they should’ve asked for a 3 yr option too
Montrose – DIBS is spot on – although a LL will often ask for a personal guarantee for the 1st yr.
No question a 3yr lease was asinine – regardless of the rent ($3500 really doesnt seem that nuts its $46 a sq ft) they took a huge hit in terms of the $ they spent fixing up the place, which they now must walk away from.
All that being said, the LL should try to negotiate something – Atlantic Ave is a MESS right now, the number of vacancies is astonishing and it really looks like it is reverting back to its former self (crappy) very rapidly.
Brroklynnative….still remains to be seen if this space rents. It may sit vacant.
lalaland made me laugh, that counts for something in my book.
MM, why does the landlord look like a fool? He’s trying to double the rent. I’d be pretty happy that they only signed a 3 year lease and I could double the rent if I were the landlord.
Still waiting for lalaland to add something to the discussion.
5 more to go.
MM…you take out a longer lease in hopes of doing well. If that doesn’t work out, the business declares bankruptcy. If they sigend the lease and made themselves personally liable then they need legal advice. Additionally, each establishment should be a separate LLC, thus avoiding liability at any one particular location.
Also, ice cream shops have to be bricks and mortar, as do nail salons. You can’t get that over the internet!!!!!
But Dave, considering the fragile state of retail in general, and this is from before the crash, small businesses have a terrible track record for bricks and mortar success. Taking out a 3 year lease seems prudent. They were successful enough to open other locations, but if he couldn’t sustain the Atlantic Ave address, wouldn’t declaring bankruptcy and walking away from the lease destroy his entire business, including the other cheaper and more successful locations? Seems like loosing his lease here, while keeping his other locations and the business going strong is still a good business move. On the face of it, the landlord comes off looking like a fool, not Blue Marble.