Viewing NYC Articles Categorized Under Local Businesses

[WATCH] How ‘The Bomb’ Became NYC’s Most Talked-About Italian Sub

2026-05-15T12:00:00-04:00

On a quiet street in Astoria, Queens, Sal, Kris & Charlie's Deli stands as a neighborhood institution since 1987. Now owned and operated by brothers Nick and John Gordon, the deli is renowned for its colossal and internet-famous “The Bomb” Italian sub. This massive sandwich features a generous assortment of meats, cheeses, and toppings, including salami, roast beef, turkey, ham, mortadella, pepperoni, American and provolone cheeses, fresh vegetables, and their signature hot and sweet pickled peppers, all served on freshly baked bread. The deli prides itself on its cold-cut-focused menu and family-like atmosphere, with employees like Emiliano and Delfino having worked there for decades. The sandwich's immense popularity has been further amplified by social media, drawing customers from far and wide eager to experience its authentic, overflowing goodness. The store's legacy is deeply tied to its founders, Charlie and Kris Gordon, and even a former employee, Sal Anselmi, whose names adorn the business. The community in Astoria is even planning to name a street after Sal, Kris, and Charlie, recognizing their enduring contribution to the neighborhood.

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[WATCH] Inside The Secret Doughnut Factory Supplying NYC's Food Carts

2026-05-09T12:00:00-04:00

This video delves into the intricate operations behind New York City's vibrant street food scene, highlighting the challenges faced by its 20,000 mobile food vendors, many of whom are immigrants. It features Pandora Bakery in The Bronx, a 24/7 operation founded by Constantinos Kotzias, which bakes tens of thousands of donuts and other pastries daily for hundreds of food carts, restaurants, and hotels. Georgios Michailidis, the General Manager, explains the precise baking process. The video introduces mobile food vendors like Naty Gonzales and Carmen Flores of Las Reinas del Sabor, operating near West 87th Street and Broadway, and Petey Stathopoulos of Petey's World Cafe at East 32nd Street and Park Avenue South, who share their daily grind and struggles. Catherine Piccoli, Curatorial Director at the Museum of Food and Drink, and Mohamed Attia, Managing Director of the Street Vendor Project, provide historical context on street vending, tracing it from the 1800s immigrant pushcart peddlers to modern-day challenges posed by restrictive permit caps, high black-market rental fees (up to $25,000 according to the Immigration Research Initiative), and increased police crackdowns. Vendors continue to protest, urging the New York City Council to implement reforms that would create more permits and provide essential support, with the New York City Health Department also playing a role in regulating food safety.

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[WATCH] NYC's Hottest Bánh Mì Shop Sells Thousands a Week

2026-04-29T12:00:00-04:00

This video highlights Bánh Anh Em, a popular Vietnamese restaurant in NYC, famous for its long lines and thousands of handcrafted bánh mì sandwiches sold weekly. Chef and co-owner Nhu Ton spent years perfecting her bánh mì recipe, traveling to France and Vietnam for the perfect baguette, experimenting with hot sauces, and making their own Vietnamese ham by hand. The establishment is renowned for its fresh bread baked just before opening and throughout service, and for its diverse range of fillings, including classic cold cuts, crispy roasted pork, and barbecue pork.

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[VIDEO] Making Popcorn for 15,000+ Basketball Fans

2026-04-26T12:00:00-04:00

Priya Krishna goes behind the scenes at Barclays Center in Downtown Brooklyn to meet the "popcorn engineers," Miss Deb and Mahogany, two long-tenured concession employees and friends. They are responsible for making enough popcorn for over 15,000 basketball fans during a WNBA game, including for 20 stands, 4 portable stations, 30 suites, and 4 clubs. The video showcases their diligent process, from preparing 50-pound bags of kernels with special seasoning to distributing the freshly popped bags across the arena, all before tip-off. Their dedication ensures every fan, no matter where they're seated, enjoys the same quality popcorn. The women also reflect on the growing popularity of women's sports and the strong bond they've built over years of working together.

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[REPOST] All In NYC: Love Your Local Newsstand

2026-01-23T12:00:00-05:00

Meet the tight-knit team keeping the doors open at beloved West Village newsstand Casa Magazines.

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[VIDEO] This Upper West Side Rock Shop Lets You Crack Geode Open With a Massive Machine

2025-10-17T12:00:00-04:00

Astro West is an Upper West Side shop near the American Museum of Natural History that has been selling rocks, gems, minerals, fossils, meteorites and crystals since 1961. Inside the shop, there is a special machine which uses a heavy-duty chain to crack open geodes, revealing the crystals inside. Check it out in this video from our friends at Insider.

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[WATCH] I Explored the High-Stakes World of NYC's Flower Market

2025-07-30T12:28:00-04:00

New York City buys more fresh-cut flowers than any other U.S. city—and meeting that demand requires a chaotic, high-stakes supply chain most people have never heard of. At the center of it all is a little-known flower market on 28th Street, where vendors and suppliers depend on everything running smoothly. But what does the future hold for New York’s flower industry and the 28th street flower market?

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[WATCH] Find Candy From Your Childhood in New York City's Oldest Candy Shop

2025-07-29T12:00:00-04:00

Opened by Morris Cohen back in 1937, beloved Lower East Side candy store Economy Candy started as a hat and shoe repair shop with a small candy pushcart outside. During the Great Depression, business dried up for the repair shop, but the inexpensive candy treats sold well, pivoting the business into what it is today. In this short episode of the excellent Neighborhood Treats series from our friends at ABC 7, watch as 3rd-generation owner Mitchell Cohen talks about the store and its history.

Step inside the oldest candy store in New York City - filled with sweets from your childhood.

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[WATCH] Find Candy From Your Childhood in New York City's Oldest Candy Shop

2025-07-02T12:00:00-04:00

Step inside the oldest candy store in New York City - filled with sweets from your childhood.

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[VIDEO] Meet Imad Khachan, Owner of the Last Chess Shop in New York City

2025-06-07T12:00:00-04:00

King of the Night is a fantastic short film from Lonelyleap that gives a touching profile of Imad Khachan, owner of the last chess shop in New York City: Chess Forum in Greenwich Village. Check it out!

“I came here to get a PhD in American literature, and here I am, with pictures of American writers on the wall—a chess vendor.”

That’s Imad Khachan, owner of Chess Forum, the only remaining chess shop in New York City. A Palestinian refugee with no family of his own, Khachan has become “the father of everybody” to a community of chess enthusiasts, those curious to learn more about the game, and those whom Khachan describes as the city’s “invisible people.”

“When no other place will welcome you, you have a seat [here],” Khachan says in Molly Brass and Anne Hollowday’s short documentary, King of the Night. The film depicts the chess shop as more than a home for chess players; Khachan’s open-door policy has provided refuge for many patrons with difficult lives at home. According to Brass, some Chess Forum regulars have no home at all.

“There are very few places in New York that accept and welcome anyone—really anyone—to sit and spend as many hours as they want to, at negligible or no cost,” Brass told The Atlantic. “It's almost a revolutionary idea at this point.”

"King of the Night" was directed and produced by Lonelyleap. It is part of The Atlantic Selects, an online showcase of short documentaries from independent creators, curated by The Atlantic.

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