By Holly Dutton
Maison Kayser is rising in New York.
The French gourmet bakery chain already has a 4,000 s/f retail store on 74th Street and 3rd Avenue, but the brand will be opening three more locations in the Midtown West and Flatiron neighborhoods, said Paul Berkman, co-head of NY retail at Jones Lang LaSalle, who represents Kayser.
“They’re going big,” Berkman told Real Estate Weekly at the ICSC REcon 2013 Conference in Las Vegas Monday afternoon. “They want to bring quality bread to America.”
The bakery and cafe serves a variety of French cafe fare and pastries, but is famous for its handmade bread.
He added that the company is also negotiating for a lease on the Upper West Side.
The company is looking at Washington, D.C. for future locations as well as nailing down a 5 year plan of 150 locations and a national presence.
Back in March, Kayser announced that their Upper East Side location was the official bread supplier to top-rated Midtown restaurant Le Bernadin.
Berkman, an attendee of ICSC REcon for the past 15 years, sees the conference as ” a real opportunity to brand.”
“It’s more about having an opportunity to be more aggressive,” he said. “It really allows you to move a deal ahead and create momentum.”
With rumors circulating that the number of attendees this year is at the highest since 2007, Berkman sees a positive future.
“I think the rebound is strong,” he said. “I’ve seen dramatic increases in sales with clients.”
Berkman said he’s seeing rents well into the $1,500 to $2,500 p/s/f range, and sees the Times Square and 34th Street retail areas having a “major uptick in desire.”
JLL is marketing a 3,300 s/f retail space on 5th Avenue across from Rockefeller Center that he believes “will be filled soon.”
