We've never been to Chima, but we've heard good things from friends that are fond of the unlimited meat on a stick experience. Soon though, the Brazilian steakhouse could disappear from its longtime home at the Kennedy House, at the corner of 20th & JFK.
A posting went up in December on Loopnet, advertising that the space was available for rent. At the time, Michael Klein chimed in, noting that the steakhouse was in negotiations with their landlord on a new lease, perhaps seeking a reduction in their monthly rent. If those negotiations were successful, Chima was planning a renovation effort inside, with improvements to the bar and VIP section on the docket. Klein also indicated that February could be a deadline for the negotiations, and last we checked we've got four days left in the month and the Loopnet posting remains intact. And while we're hopeful that the business and the landlord can cross the finish line, we have to consider the possibility that this space will indeed turn over.
And what a space it is. There's 16,680 sqft on the first floor, with a huge kitchen, a large dining room, and a couple private dining spaces as well. There's also a mezzanine level with another 6,808 sqft which is available together with the ground floor space or could be leased separately. So yeah, that's a whole lot of space for a restaurant and we won't even try to guess how much they're paying per month. Suffice to say, they surely need to sell a tremendous quantity of beef every month to pay that rent number.
If Chima leaves, what kind of business do you think would work here? Would you expect another restaurant concept to take up the entire space? Or is it more likely that two smaller businesses would work here? Alternately, is it possible that a non-retail business would consider this location, maybe an office looking for ground-floor exposure and easy access to 30th Street Station? Losing a retail space at this location would certainly be an unfortunate turn of events, but we could absolutely see it happening if Chima can't come to terms on a new lease. Or alternately, maybe Del Frisco's will open a second location in town.