Saturday, July 4, 2015

Opening of Blue Nile Restaurant

Last week, a new restaurant was added to the pantheon of Madison Avenue eateries: Blue Nile.  The Ethiopian restaurant opened into the shopfront that was housed a Pizza Hut (which, as this earlier post suggested, was not a typical Pizza Hut).  This post will look at the transformation of this retail bay into the Blue Nile.


This photo from back in 2008 shows the Pizza Hut in its prime.  This is a very "Nothing Ever Happen on my Block" photo that would make Ellen Raskin proud: note the painter in the background.

This photo from 2010 shows the Pizza Hut during a more dramatic moment.  Check out their sign: I think they were hiring 5 drivers on a perpetual basis...

Fast forward a few years and we see the beginning prep work for the Blue Nile: work on the AC.







And then the windows were shrouded in mystery.

Getting close...

More AC work!

Soft opening day!  Come on in!

Notice of Alcohol Commission hearing.

And finally, with a Coca-Cola-sponsored sign.