Popular Indian Restaurant Gazab Takes 3K SF for New Eatery at 202 Avenue A

Popular Indian restaurant Gazab will open a new restaurant in the East Village called Jhakaas, Commercial Observer has learned.

Gazab signed a 3,000-square-foot lease on the ground floor of Highpoint Property Group’s 202 Avenue A, according to Meridian Retail Leasing’s Noam Aziz, who brokered the deal for the tenant. A spokesperson for Gazab did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Asking rent was $150 per square foot for the space formerly occupied by Mediterranean restaurant Kōbo by Nai, Aziz told CO.

“This was a fully built-out restaurant opportunity,” Aziz said. “The restaurants in the neighborhood are all killing it. …The concept here is going to be a lot more fine dining. I think they’re going to give [other restaurants in the area] a run for their money.”

Current Real Estate Advisors’ Michael Segerman, who brokered the deal for the landlord, said that Highpoint felt the tenant was “a very good fit for the neighborhood.”

“We felt there was kind of a void in the market for Indian cuisine, which has become more and more popular,” Segerman said. “We were very comfortable with the track record of the incoming chef, who has been working with high-end Indian restaurants throughout the United States over the last nine to 10 years.”

Gazab, which currently has a location at 179 Essex Street on the Lower East Side, will be operating Jhakaas with the same team, including Executive Chef and founder Vamshi Adi, Aziz said.

The new spot is set to open sometime in September and will hold up to 74 diners, Aziz said. Highpoint Property Group bought the four-story 202 Avenue A for $6.75 million in late 2017. Renovations added two stories to the mixed-use property, including a duplex penthouse. 

Soon-to-be neighbors for Jhakaas include Lebanese restaurant Au Za’atar and Mexican eatery El Camion Cantina.