Harned New Yorkers could easily miss the brown door on the platform, which separates the road from the 28th Street in the Seventh Avenue from the U -Bahn -up the home of Zug No. 1. Half a flight down, the turnstile.
This fascinating experience is from Jey Perie, 41, who grew up in France and moved to New York in 2012. Eight years later he opened La Noxe, a 600 square meter hidden bar between the street and the uptown train.
The bar holds 30 people and is reminiscent of a speakeasy: “Because it is so difficult to find that my intention was never intended,” said Perie, who was looking for commercial rentals online in January 2019.
“I wanted something unique and intimate that imitated the late 70s and early 80s in New York,” he continued. “I came across an abstract drawing of an underground staircase with hardly any description, just around one place and you asked $ 10,000 a month. But I was interested. When I saw the room, I fell in love with him. “
He negotiated a reduced price of $ 7,000 a month, disappointed everything and planned to open March 2020. Covid met the day he was supposed to pick up his spiritual permit and the world closes. The opening of the bar was delayed. Mr. Perie began to worry. Further setbacks occurred when the world reopened 25 percent and then closed again to reopen a few months later.
“The stops and starts were really difficult,” said Mr. Perie, who was previously the creative director and buyer of Kinfolk, a clothing store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “But I didn't want to give up. I wanted to sue it. “
In 2021, a random customer who shot a short video changed everything.
This interview was processed and cut out of clarity.
Why invest in something so small? I lived in Tokyo for six years and learned every inch. The room is very valuable and full of concepts and sophistication. New York is the same. In Tokyo you have a sushi restaurant, Jiro, in your U -Bahn. I wanted to bring this here and create my own vision of a night club.
How many drinks do you sell? We have a DJ on weekends, so these are our busiest days. Then we can sell 150-200 drinks per night.
What is the most popular? More passion more problems: vodka, passion fruit liqueur, lemon, orange peel.
What increases the U -Bahn to the customer experience? The MTA is the veins of the city. It is a big balance and helps to make the city what it is. The craziness of the U -Bahn adds another energy. A 24-hour experience that is never closed is perfect for someone who loves nightlife like me. I loved the roughness of the outside and the U -Bahn staircase. There is a temporary feeling. Through the glass you can see people who come into the U -Bahn and come from the U -Bahn, but it's just a shadow. I wanted to create a dichotomy inside. Something cozy and warm. A cocoon. When the music is switched on and people are here, the rest of the world disappears. You never know how late it is.
How did this room become so well known? In March 2021 we were closed for months and then said we could open again, but only 25 percent, which is like eight people, to close again a few months later. When we tried to find out how we wanted to survive, a random girl booked a reservation. She made a Tikok video in which she opened the door and went out. She only had 400 or 500 followers, but her video got a million plus calls. This was taken up in other social media. The MTA President gave us an award. We became a New York comeback story. She brought the news and Jimmy Fallon had us on his show. We went to Instagram from 10 people to 1,000 people per week. We started with Resy. Without this video we would be closed.
Was it difficult to get permits at the beginning? We have received a complete license license and were classified as retail areas “usage group 6” and granted permission to remain open until 4 a.m. The city is not always friendly for quirky rooms and companies because the city does not believe that they can earn with something small.
What was in the room when you saw it for the first time? A massage salon without permission, an illegal shower. There were six rooms with a panic button in every room.
How did you work this room? The MTA and the Department of Buildings had to approve all of my designs and material. We have completely gutted the room. There were no plumber for food and drinks or a fat trap that we had to create and install for the first time. We converted the bathroom. We have created a back kitchen and a separate bar area. We replaced the carpet and added a worktop and furniture. A concrete wall was removed; Glass blocks and a door were added together with red and black, marbled cork on the walls and red lighting to create ambience. All of this took eight months.
Did you see a lot of bad behavior? Not too much. The challenge of a small space like this is that a person can ruin it for everyone. Nobody ever had a physical struggle. The worst thing I saw is a businessman who was probably with an escort. They became high; I had to ask her to go.
What do you love to own a bar? I love being part of something tangible and creating an experience. I do a person's day better. People know that people hit their husband or wife in a place I created is rewarding. I found great friends here. I found my partner for a second La Noxe, which we opened in January in the Trinity Center, a historic building in the financial district. It is 1,600 square foot with high ceilings and huge windows on the first floor. It is the opposite of this room. This room became my “Proof of Concept”.