You may know what's brand-new, but what about which local restaurants are actually trending upwards, based on recent foot traffic?
Hoodline analyzed data from SafeGraph, a dataset of commercial points of interest and their visitor patterns, to find out which local businesses saw a major increase in foot traffic from January to February — as well as what times are the busiest, in case you'd like to join in or skip the crowds.
Tim Ho Wan
Located at 85 4th Ave., Tim Ho Wan saw a huge increase in visitors month-over-month, giving it among the biggest boosts in the city as of February.
The restaurant, which has 46 locations worldwide, offers Cantonese-style dim sum, from shrimp dumplings to siu mai to pork buns and more. With 3.5 stars out of 1,445 reviews on Yelp, it’s a well-liked local option.
It's open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. It’s usually busiest from noon to 4 p.m., and on Wednesdays and Saturdays. If you’re planning your visit, you may want to try its slower periods: after 5 p.m. daily, or on Mondays.
Tim Ho Wan is popular among travelers staying at W Hotels, according to SafeGraph's data. If you're looking for new duds, the restaurant's visitors also tend to visit Free People.
Pepo's Pizza
Pepo's Pizza, located at 1522 Amsterdam Ave., was another trending hotspot in New York City in February, also seeing its foot traffic double from the month before.
The restaurant, which currently holds four stars out of nine reviews on Yelp, offers pizza, wings and sandwiches.
It's open 10 a.m. to midnight every day. Usually, it gets busy from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Tuesdays, with a slowdown after 2 p.m. and on Sundays.
Still hungry? McDonald’s and Crown Fried Chicken are other food options frequented by folks who stopped by Pepo’s Pizza.
Makana BBQ & Poke
Another spot that saw visitors almost double in February was Makana BBQ & Poke, situated at 161 West 106th St.
The restaurant, which has 3.5 stars out of 188 reviews on Yelp, serves Hawaiian-inspired poke bowls and Asian barbeque.
Foot traffic is heaviest from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Mondays and Fridays, so wait for a late lunch or go on a Tuesday if you want to avoid the rush. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.
The Hawaiian eatery is good for a quick bite: It's popular among visitors who also fueled up at the nearest Mobil gas station, according to SafeGraph's data.
