The Toy Building Becomes Gourmet Food Eatery
The Toy Building is set to become New York’s newest gourmet food hotspot. Eataly, with locations already in Italy and Japan, is scheduled to open this August.
Reports online estimate that the venture will be 32,000–42,500 square feet. A rooftop beer garden is also expected to open a few months after the marketplace opens. The $20 million project is expected to house seven restaurants focusing on themes such as pasta, seafood, and vegetables. There will be retail shops selling wine, handmade pasta, cured meats, and cheeses, among many other offerings.
The project is a collaboration between the founders of Eataly in Turin, Italy, and the Batali-Bastianich Hospitality Group run by Joseph and Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali.
This location is expected to offer top-quality, authentic Italian food products, which are becoming harder to find in Manhattan in recent years. One thing is for sure, this venture will make it very easy to forget the L.A. Cafe.
Macy’s Plans Aggressive Back-to-School Effort
Macy’s announced this week an aggressive new back-to-school effort. The initiatives include the launch of Material Girl, a new young men’s fashion brand, line extensions for three current juniors brands such as Jessica Simpson’s line, exclusive Glee-branded product, a new mstylelab “sitelet” for teens, and a partnership with Microsoft for an exclusive preview of Kinect for Xbox 360.
As part of the initiative, Macy’s has also partnered with Kidz Bop placing the Kidz Bop Kids in a national TV commercial featuring a song from the audio series’ latest release, Kidz Bop 18 (available July 20). The Kidz Bop Kids will also be featured in the Macy’s back-to-school direct mail campaign. The Kidz Bop Kids will be traveling to select Macy’s locations across the country for performances, meet and greet, and other events. Kids can also enter the Kidz Bop Ultimate FANtasy sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to New York City and be a guest singer on the next Kidz Bop album at the promotion’s dedicated microsite.
On the product front, the much-talked about Material Girl line will launch exclusively in approximately 200 Macy’s stores and online at macys.com on August 3. The collection was inspired and designed in collaboration with Madonna and her daughter Lola. The collection will consist of apparel, footwear, handbags, and jewelry, retailing from $12–$40.
Additionally, celebrity fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons recently launched a new line — Kouture by Kimora — exclusively at 300 Macy’s stores nationwide. Prices range from $24–$40 with styles including retro jackets, off-shoulder blouses, fun rompers, and flirty dresses.
In addition to fashion, on July 15, Macy’s will unveil Kinect for Xbox 360, a new way to play with controller-free games and entertainment, in 13 stores nationwide. Simply step in front of the sensor and Kinect sees you move, hears your voice, and recognizes you—and no controller is required. Games are designed to be easy to learn, quick to play, and fun to watch, so even those who have never played before can jump right in. It is expected to be in stores November 4.
On August 12, 2010, Macy’s will be launching www.macys.com/mstylelab.com, a sitelet dedicated to teens. It will host the launch event for the Kinect for Xbox 360 software.