Renowned Korean chef Jiho Kim has leased 3,120 square feet at 21 West 17th Street in Manhattan's Flatiron District. He will open his eponymous flagship restaurant, «Jiho», there. The restaurant, which will offer New American cuisine with Korean influences, will encompass 1,868 square feet on the ground floor and an additional 1,252 square feet in the basement of the location between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas. Rents for such properties are approximately $120 per square foot.
Carson Shahrabani and Noam Aziz of Meridian Capital Group represented Kim in this transaction. Carson Shahrabani expressed delight at the deal, stating that Jiho Kim had been searching for a suitable location for his flagship restaurant for years. It was a great pleasure to have finally found the ideal spot for him after a long search.
Jiho Kim is already known as the founder of the restaurant «Joomak» in West Village and «Ddobar» in the Olly Olly Market Food Hall in West Chelsea. According to Yelp, «Joomak» is currently temporarily closed, while «Ddobar» officially closed its doors in March this year. With the new restaurant in the Flatiron District, Kim marks a significant step in his culinary career.
The property at 21 West 17th Street is part of «Louie», a two-part residential complex developed by Vinbaytel Property Development. Completed in July 2024, the building features 21 condominiums, each occupying an entire floor. Another retail space, located on the north side of the block at 16 West 18th Street, was leased earlier this month to Chef Andrew Sargent for his first restaurant in New York City.
The landlords were represented by Ben Davis and Alex Svetlakou of Ripco Real Estate. A request to a team spokesperson for comment has not yet been answered. Chef Kim's lease underscores the Flatiron District's appeal for high-quality gastronomic concepts and demonstrates the ongoing dynamism in New York's retail property market.
- —Transaction location: 21 West 17th Street, Flatiron District, Manhattan
- —Area: 3,120 square feet (1,868 sq ft ground floor, 1,252 sq ft basement)
- —Tenant broker: Carson Shahrabani, Noam Aziz (Meridian Capital Group)
- —Landlord broker: Ben Davis, Alex Svetlakou (Ripco Real Estate)
