5/23/2016
By Ivan Pereira
You just can’t keep a good fry joint down forever.
Pommes Frites reopened Monday on Macdougal Street and Minetta Lane, 14 months after its original location on Second Avenue was destroyed in a massive explosion.
The owners wanted to have a soft opening, but that didn’t stop the hungry faithful customers from lining up during lunch time to grab their signature cone of fries and one of a kind sauce.
“We’ve been checking their website everyday to see when they would come back,” said Ashlei Payne, 22, of Clinton Hill, who was the second customer of the day.
Pommes’ new space, located opposite the Comedy Cellar, is 740 square feet, about 180 more square feet than the original location, according to co-owner Omer Shorshi. When designing the Macdougal location, Shorshi said they decided to put the counter deeper inside the restaurant and allow for more seating.
“We have more room in the back of the house,” he said.
Shorshi said he and his co-owner Suzanne Levinson didn’t want to leave the village and found the new location to be a perfect fit.
The original location operated for 18 years before it was destroyed in a gas explosion wrecked three buildings on Second Avenue and East Seventh Street on March 25, 2015. Shorshi said he and his staff were devastated but got an extra boost from the customers who rallied to keep Pommes Frites alive.
He thanked them for their support, including their donations to pay for some costs after the explosion, and continue to enjoy their menu.
“We’ve been waiting for this day for 14 months. It’s been a long journey,” he said.
