THE PLAN

117 front street

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Because the space previously had no central air-conditioning, Pinkberry was required to file an application with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to alter the storefront at 117 Front Street. Theres no venting or cooling in the space right now, Ms. Pardo said, adding that for this same reason, very few buildings in Dumbo are easily equipped to handle full-service dining establishments. Theres only a window air-conditioner. Putting in central A/C means installing so-called louver venting for the HVAC system along the exterior storefront, just under the Pinkberry sign, which also must be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. It all depends on what kind of A/C unit they put in, said Ms. Pardo. But because this particular space did not have any cooling other than a window unit, they have to install the louvres, because theyre going to have a split A/C unit.

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inkberry will open its second Brooklyn location at 117 Front Street in Dumbo later this year, in a space previously occupied by clothing and accessories store NOS, which will expand to nearby 81 Front Street. The frozen yogurt store is slated to open the 1,000-square-foot shop in October. They have been scoping out the neighborhood, said Caroline Pardo, leasing agent at Two Trees Management, which owns buildings across the Brooklyn neighborhood. They were looking at the prime retail corridors of the neighborhood, and Front Street obviously is that. And it was perfect timing because NOS was moving out. I showed them the space, and they really just fell in love with it. Ms. Pardo reviewed Pinkberrys furniture plan with The Commercial Observer and explained why, exactly, the frozen yogurt retailer chose Dumbo for its next location.
Pinkberrys build-out at 117 Front Street will be similar to what customers experience in other outlets across the city, Ms. Pardo said. After walking into the Dumbo location, customers will find Pinkberrys tangy yogurt in machines behind the counter. Also located here will be topping stations, Ms. Pardo said.

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Apart from frozen yogurt, Pinkberry locations are known for their signature interior design. This location will highlight that too, greeting customers as they enter the store. Bright green and pink chairs and other elements familiar to patrons will be seen in the seating area at the front of the space.

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Despite it being a relatively small space, preparing for business will require a fair amount of work. Theyre putting in a walk-in cooler, which is pretty heavyduty, Mr. Pardo said. Much of this will be behind the scenes, in the shops back-of-house area, previously unpartitioned space that NOS used for storage and inventory.

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34|September 4, 2012|The Commercial Observer