Does Park Slope Have a 'Same-ificiation' Problem?

Plus: this week's farmers market forecast, a "world-class" bus route, and Franklin Avenue's newest sushi spot.

Hi all,

The Infatuation is sounding the alarm on the “same-ification” of NYC neighborhoods, and our corner of the five boroughs is not immune.

The publication says anywhere with more than five of the “mini chains” dominating the city is “cooked.” Since Park Slope has a 7th Street Burger, Blank Street, Wonder and Sushi Counter with a Skinny Louie coming soon, it’s firmly in the danger zone, according to the site.

The trend is one of the city’s favorite grievances, and New Yorkers wasted no time piling on with complaints about “private equity slop.”

Credit: Google Maps

“I call it the Mall-ification of NYC. High rent is killing the mom and pop so chains are taking over,” wrote Fritz Celestin, who is the co-owner of The Lay-Up in Park Slope. “Developers understand that gentrifiers are used to bland strip mall life in their hometowns, so just recreate it in NYC.”

Other neighborhood businesses used the moment to remind everyone they aren’t part of the problem.

“Hi! We’re not the same!” wrote Ramblin’ Chick, which is owned by the co-founders of Ample Hills, whose once-fast-growing ice cream company filed for bankruptcy after expanding to more than a dozen locations, including one at Walt Disney World.

While it's easy to dunk on coffee and food chains that have as much personality as a teller-less Bank of America branch, the mini-chain debate is more complicated than it looks.

Small businesses often expand because they have to—not because they want to become the next Shake Shack. Restaurant margins are notoriously thin, and opening a second or third location can be what keeps a business alive—not what turns it into a corporate empire.

So where do you draw the line before calling a restaurant a sellout?

Is it three locations? Four? Miriam spent two decades as a Park Slope spot before expanding to Manhattan, opening locations in the West Village, Upper East Side and Upper West Side. Did it stop being a neighborhood restaurant? Or is the real dividing line when private equity gets involved and it opens an outpost at DeKalb Market Hall?

I’m curious where everyone lands on this one. When does a beloved local spot become a soulless chain? This newsletter is free so everyone can jump into the comments!

Neighborhood Notes

• Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new plan to speed up New York City’s buses includes a proposal for a “world-class” bus route on Flatbush Avenue by 2030, extending an ongoing project to add center-running bus lanes from Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza.

  

  Credit: NYC DOT

• A new sushi spot with a speakeasy-style Japanese coffee bar tucked away in the back has opened at 626 Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights. Sushi Roll Club, which comes from the same folks as Silver Rice and Don Udon, serves rolls, chirashi bowls, and sashimi platters.

• Prospect Park Alliance has announced its summer outdoor movie line-up. This summer’s screenings will kick off on Wednesday, Aug. 2 with Shrek 2. RSVP here.

• Neighbors have been rallying around Cheryl's Global Soul since the Prospect Heights restaurant put out a call for help to remain in its home on Underhill Avenue. The fundraiser has now surpassed $60,000, putting it at more than 75 percent of the goal. Please donate if you can!

  

• Lisbonata is testing later hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to satisfy your post-dinner soft-serve cravings. The shop will stay open until 8 p.m., serving only soft serve during the extended evening hours.

• Canyon Coffee is now squeezing fresh orange juice, thanks to a new in-house juicing machine.

  

• There are new items in the pantry at Farm.One, including unsalted butter from Vermont Creamery, candy from Bon Bonn and dried fruit from Mavuno Harvest.

• Marbré has been regularly selling out since opening its French pastry shop at 186 Fifth Avenue, with customers lining up for its madeleines.

Farmer’s Market Forecast

Treelicious Orchards: Peach season is finally here. The Warren County, New Jersey, farm is bringing its first peaches of the summer after a brutal late frost devastated much of the region’s stone fruit crop. These are the lucky survivors, and the orchard promises they’re big, juicy and perfect for eating out of hand or throwing on the grill.

Lavender by the Bay: The farm will have freshly cut French lavender bundles, wildflower honey and lavender plants if you’re looking to add a little fragrance to your apartment or garden.

Get Out of Your Apartment

• Help spruce up St. Johns Place this weekend with a neighborhood tree-care event featuring shrub removal and a NYC Parks training from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday and a community mulching and composting day from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m, Sunday.

Got a tip, question or bit of neighborhood gossip? Reach me at tips@grandarmygazette.com or on Instagram.