Eastern Consolidated has arranged a 15-year-lease at 165 Avenue B in the East Village for SUM, a new Cantonese restaurant that will be operated by critically acclaimed chef Ben Pope.
Located between 10th and 11th Streets, the property offers 900 square feet of interior space and a 700-square-foot outdoor garden.
Pope is the former chef at 2 Duck Goose, a popular modern Cantonese restaurant in Gowanus, Brooklyn, which he co-founded, and will be serving modern and traditional Cantonese cuisine at his new restaurant.
James Famularo, Senior Director of the Retail Leasing Division for Eastern Consolidated, exclusively represented the landlord on the deal, while Joe Robinson, Senior Director, and Alex Karas, Director, exclusively represented the tenant.
“Ben used to live in the East Village and is very excited about bringing his unique cuisine to the community,” Robinson said.
“The restaurant’s name, SUM, means ‘heart’ in Cantonese and captures how he feels about the East Village community that remains close to his heart.”
“Lately all young chefs seem to be flocking to the East Village to open new concepts,” Famularo said. “We convinced our client to renovate the space and install a new storefront, and because of this we saw a ton of activity.
“This space is located at the base of a mixed-use residential building and directly across from Tompkins Square Park, presenting an ideal site for a brand name chef like Ben Pope to open a new restaurant.”
Karas continued, “Alphabet City is known for its nightlife and with SUM Ben will be introducing a new and exciting restaurant concept to the neighborhood.”
A native of Hong Kong, Pope received rave reviews for his menu at 2 Duck Goose where he combined traditional dishes from his childhood with the skills he learned at the International Culinary Center.
