Remember when we were talking about Same-ification? (Chart here, for a quick overview.) There’s one chain I neglected to discuss, in part because it didn’t fit neatly into the discussion. Also, this specific case of Same-ification is confined to a geographical area the size of Vatican City.
I’m referring to downtown sister restaurants The Corner Store, The Eighty Six, and Or’esh. Open since 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively, they’re backed by both Catch Hospitality Group and the billionaire owner of Del Frisco’s, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and Rainforest Cafe. (I unironically enjoy a few of that magnate’s restaurants, such as Keens and J. Gilbert’s, which is one of several reasons this will not be a screed on capitalism.)
The Corner Store is across the street from Or’esh in Soho, and The Eighty Six is a few blocks north in the West Village. Around the corner from The Eighty Six, in the former home of Saint Theo’s, Cafe Charmant will be opening early this fall.
From a chef who previously worked at Eleven Madison Park, the place will be a coastal-inspired brasserie with hints of the French Riviera. A sample menu from their liquor license application lists razor clam pasta, duck frites, and shrimp Polynesian among the potential offerings. Notably, the same beverage director who’s done very impressive things at Charmant’s sister restaurants will head the cocktail program. Yes, there will be a signature dirty martini, this time “Provençal.”
Is this a new, worse chapter for the West Village? Not really. The coastal Italian and thoroughly bougie Saint Theo’s was itself part of a restaurant group, which at one time had three spots in the neighborhood. (American Bar is the last one standing.) But as the person who winds up reviewing all of these Catch Group places, I am starting to get a little concerned.
Unfashionable in certain circles and god-tier in others, The Corner Store and its siblings do so much right, and still they’re hard to love. Maybe it’s because they feel like they could exist in any other major metropolitan area, not just New York City (which could be the ultimate plan). Plug any one into Dallas, Miami, or Las Vegas, and I bet they’d do just fine. Will Cafe Charmant be the exception? Maybe. Either way, I’m sure I’ll be the one to let you know.
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