Few Barclays-Area Eateries Seeing Bump from Nets Games

This article was written by Amy Sara Clark.

Brooklyn Nets fans poured into the arena Monday for the second night of NBA playoffs, but most didn’t stop by area businesses on their way to the game.

The promise of an influx of hungry ticket holders was part of the argument arena proponents used to argue for building the Barclays Center. And the new customers have materialized, but for the most-part before concerts when restaurants as far away as Clinton Hill and Carroll Gardens, report a bump in diners.

But the picture is different on game nights when only a selection of large sports bars and a handful of casual restaurants near the arena say they’re seeing an influx of Nets fans.

Many sports fans don’t plan for a large meal before a game. They’re more likely to want just a quick bite, there are more than 30 vendors, many with a Brooklyn theme, inside the arena.

But despite these enticements, before last night’s game, dozens of Nets fans ventured out.

About an hour before the game, a scattering of black-and-white-clad Nets fans could be seen on the streets or in a handful of restaurants. Flatbush Avenue between Bergen and Prospect appeared to have the most customers.

Woodland, an upscale restaurant and bar, and the more casual 67 burger, were about half full, with several tables hosting diners in Nets paraphernalia.

Paul Schuman, a student from Westchester, said he chose 67 Burger after being underwhelmed by his meal at the Barclays Center before a previous game.
He didn’t mince words: “The food was pricey and it tasted like school lunch,” he said.

Woodland hostess Ayla Gafarova said although her restaurant was only about half-full before this Monday night game, on weekends the place is full of Barclays patrons, especially during brunch.

At Woodland, an upscale bar and restaurant, Melvin Fig of East New York was sipping a drink with a friend. Asked why he stopped by, he gave the quintessential New York answer: “It was near the arena and ee found parking.”

But a restaurant appears to need more than proximity to the Barclays bustle to do well.

Although being one of the closest restaurants to the arena, Fish and Sip, between Bergen and Dean has not seen many Nets fans.

“We get customers from the concerts,” said owner Eyal Hen. “But before the games, people like to go inside, to be part of the experience—or they want to grab something quick, a slice of pizza.”

Indeed, Gino’s, right next door to Hen’s eatery, was packed with black-and-white clad customers vying for a Brooklyn slice. Irwin Ostrov, a season ticket holder who lives in Staten Island, has even made the corner pizza parlor part of his Nets night routine.

Burrito Bar, a Mexican restaurant on Prospect Place, three blocks from the arena, has also seen a large bump from Nets fans. Owner Greg Yerman said the restaurant is generally close to full before a game and about three-quarters full for the post-game crowd.

Once you leave Flatbush Avenue a different picture emerges. Large bars in such neighborhoods as Cobble Hill, Clinton Hill, Park Slope and Fort Greene told the Daily News they’ve seen an influx of Nets fans. But in Prospect Heights the same hasn’t held true.

Further away, on Washington and Underhill, fans are nowhere to be seen, and even on Vanderbilt, where the arena’s parking lot is located, business from Barclays has been light.

Even at the Vanderbilt Avenue sports bar Plan B, very few NBA ticket holders have shown up, although a bartender noted that locals have shown up to watch the Nets games on the bar’s TV.

The restaurant 606 R&D, two blocks from the arena’s parking lot, saw an uptick in business before both Nets games this week, and Chuko, located across the street from the lot said they get a sprinkling of Nets fans when there’s a game.

But Le Gaman and Cornelius, both upscale bistros within a block of the parking lot said they have seen no increase, nor has the pizza spot Amorina, three blocks away at the corner of Prospect Place.

“Most of the folks on Vanderbilt that I’ve talked to don’t feel like they’ve to any bounce at all from the arena,” said Gib Veconi of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council.

Barclays spokesman Barry Baum said the arena is promoting local businesses to ticket holders through its Barclays Cener app, on its in-arena TV and through other channels.

Veconi noted that there’s only so much Barclays can do. Not only do restaurants need to be near the arena, they also have to cater to the crowd. 

And for a restaurant near Barclays to success it can’t just do moderately well. 
thanks to an increase in rents since Atlantic Yards development began, a business has to do spectacularly well in order to make the rent.

“With the rents the landlords are trying to get the margin of error is really small,” Veconi said. “You see businesses come and go quite quickly on these strips. I haven’t seen that before.”