The ownership group behind Friedman's restaurant just went from tenant to owner of a retail co-op unit on the Upper West Side, buying the roughly 5,000-square-foot unit at 541-555 Amsterdam Avenue for $4.1 million and planning to open a new location in the building's vacant unit. The purchase also puts the group in charge of the ground-floor retail co-op unit beneath two Upper West Side institutions: Barney Greengrass, the century-old appetizing shop and restaurant, and Hudson & Charles, the neighborhood's sustainable butcher shop.
A $4.1 Million Deal With a Beloved Fish Vendor in the Mix
Mountain View Acquisition closed on the roughly 5,000-square-foot retail unit, paying $4.1 million according to Lee & Associates NYC, as reported by Commercial Observer. The price landed slightly above the $4 million asking figure that brokerage Avison Young had originally attached to the space, which it listed as a 4,898-gross-square-foot commercial unit, according to Avison Young. Brandon Polakoff of Avison Young represented the seller, 176 West 87th Leasehold, a family LLC, while Peter Braus represented the buyer, per the Commercial Observer report.
Braus told the outlet the deal reflects the group expanding its footprint on the Upper West Side while keeping a New York institution operating. That institution is Barney Greengrass, the longtime restaurant and fish vendor that will remain in its current location after the sale, and it comes with serious pedigree: founded in Harlem in 1908, it relocated to its current Amsterdam Avenue storefront in 1929 and added a dedicated restaurant section in 1938, according to a history published by Wikipedia. The shop won a James Beard Foundation American Classic award in 2006 and climbed to 66th place on The New York Times' list of the 100 Best Restaurants in New York City in May 2024, per its own account of its history.
Hudson & Charles Also Stays, As Friedman's Plans Its Own Space
Hudson & Charles, the butcher shop that sells sandwiches and groceries, will likewise remain in its current location after the sale. The shop opened its 800-square-foot storefront at 555 Amsterdam Avenue in November 2016, its second Manhattan location following a 2013 debut in the West Village, according to Patch. That leaves Mountain View Acquisition's new Friedman's location as the change agent in the building, set to fill the retail co-op's vacant unit.
The Friedman's ownership group, which also includes sister concept Pastrami Queen, now operates at least seven locations across Manhattan, offering breakfast classics, sandwiches, burgers and spirits. The chain traces back to its first-ever location at Chelsea Market. Its Upper West Side presence has shifted before: Friedman's currently operates at 50 West 72nd Street alongside Community Food & Juice. West Side Rag previously covered the earlier West 72nd Street location's breakfast and brunch menu, and reported separately on the launch of sister concept Pastrami Queen's outpost at the Pearl Hotel.
A Menu Built Around Gluten-Free Comfort Food
Friedman's has built much of its brand identity around accessibility for gluten-free diners. The chain offers roughly 99% of its traditional American comfort food menu in gluten-free versions, industry outlet WhatNow reported in September 2023. That niche, paired with the group's existing scale in Manhattan, helps explain why the new Amsterdam Avenue space represents a dedicated expansion rather than a simple relocation.
Turnover Up and Down the Amsterdam Avenue Corridor
The purchase lands amid a wave of change along Amsterdam Avenue. Just blocks south, western-themed bar Velvet Cowboy was set to open on September 29 in the former Jacob's Pickles storefront at 509 Amsterdam Avenue, after Jacob's Pickles relocated to a larger space on Columbus Avenue. Neighborhood staple Jake's Dilemma, meanwhile, announced it will close permanently at 430 Amsterdam Avenue next month after 32 years in business, a story Hoodline detailed as new owners eye upscale dining for that spot.
Further up the avenue, the opening of a 600th legal cannabis store marked another kind of shift. Borough-wide, broader retail-market changes provided a backdrop to the deal, as buyers showed appetite for locking down a stable, multi-tenant retail asset like 541-555 Amsterdam Avenue.
Brandon Polakoff did not immediately respond to Commercial Observer's request for comment on the deal. Open questions remain around the timeline for the new Friedman's opening, the lease terms for Barney Greengrass and Hudson & Charles going forward, and whether the new retail-unit owner plans any physical updates to the historic retail base.
