Duane Reade, Big One, Open

As reported by Eater.com
Corkbuzz was up first, Laura Maniec, formerly the beverage director at BR Guest and one of 18 female Master Sommeliers, seeks to open Corkbuzz at 13 East 13th Street and obviously needs a full liquor license for this restaurant… or is it obvious? Corkbuzz would primarily be a restaurant but would also seek to celebrate, explore and enjoy wine. The community was very mixed on this one. Although there was tons of support for the wine-centric restaurant coming to the neighborhood, some wondered why they were seeking a full license and not just wine and beer. The community members did not want another full license on this block, especially since this location had not been licensed before. One board member actually had the audacity to grill her on her experience, even though she clearly mentioned that she had been involved in nearly 10 restaurant openings and was made partner at BR Guest after a relatively brief time there. In the end, they voted to deny the application unless certain stipulations were met (including closing at 1AM on Thursday-Saturday, not using outside promoters), because they thought the applicant was unique and special.

2) The man behind Caliente Cab Company is looking to pick up the old Buona Sera space at 94 University Place. They were hoping for a full liquor license for their restaurant, which would be a sort of Mexican and Asian-fusion. There would be a limited food counter and a limited bar and they’re working with a chef at Nobu on the menu development. They actually came having already reduced their hours, but they still received somewhat mixed reviews from the community. They were approved with a deny unless they agreed to certain stipulations. Oh, and don’t expect a happy hour here…they think it isn’t pro-community and attracts the college crowds.

Click here to see 21 archival photos of Union Square dating back as far as 1888.

Bon Jour to Patisserie Fouet on 13th St. just steps away. High-end delicacies with a Japanese twist. You can read all about them in their liquor license application.

Manhattan’s second legal marijuana store will open in February at the site of the former Chase bank on the corner of Broadway and 13th Street.

When it opens  it will donate 51% of its revenues to the Doe Fund, which helps vulnerable populations in New York City with work, housing, and access to continuing education, career training, and counseling.

The Doe Fund was one of more than a dozen NGOs and businesses to get a dispensary license in November, indicating that the city is poised to see an influx of legal recreational dispensaries.

The 5,000-square-foot area will be a “higher velocity” store, which means it will be designed to accommodate a larger volume of consumers effortlessly, whether they come in to pick up a pre-order or speak with a budtender.

Stop by apartment 5E (Peter and Ellis) this coming Thursday at 6-7 PM to see their renovation underway and get a unique chance to see the guts of the building exposed.

If there was any doubt about the national momentum on legalized marijuana use in America, consider this. There will be a medicinal marijuana dispensary off Union Square come January 2016. The dispensary on 14th Street between Second and Third Avenues will be run by Columbia Care, a New York City-based company that was awarded one of the state’s five licenses to open a medicinal marijuana shop. The selections were made in July, and companies are moving forward on grand openings.