East Village Restaurant Celebrates its Opening with Free Falafel All Day
-- And Announces its Name, as Supplied By a New Yorker

NEW YORK CITY, February 24, 2004 – Opening on March 1, 2004, the restaurant at 23 3rd Ave will unveil its name, as supplied by Eliza Cohen, 26, of Brooklyn, NY. The owner, solicited input via a web site, www.name-our-restaurant.com. Ms. Cohen submitted the winning entry and will be presented with a check for $2,500 in person on March 1 at the restaurant.

Additionally, to celebrate the opening of their establishment the partners will be giving away free falafel sandwiches from 9 AM – 12 AM as a way to thank the community for all their excellent suggestions. In total, there were over 10,000 names submitted through their web site from all over the world. But the winning submission came from a New Yorker that works in Manhattan. The name will be announced on the www.name-our-restaurant.com web site, and an email will go out to all of the participants thanking them for their recommendations.

Frustrated at the lack of genuine falafel and quality shawarma (gyro), available locally, owner hatched the idea to open a restaurant that served these dishes as they tasted – flavorful, delicious and made of the finest ingredients. For this purpose they’ve brought in experts on Israeli fare and have even installed a pita-baking oven on the premises.

The restaurant will serve impeccably fresh, kosher food, perfect for those looking for a quick, healthy and inexpensive meal (most menu items will be less than $5.00). The environment is warm, welcoming and modern – a great spot to sit and comfortably have a bite. Menu items include Falafel, Kosher Shawarma, Homemade Pita, Made-to-Order Salads and Malabi. Hours of operation: 9 AM – 4 AM daily. Telephone: 212-228-3445.

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Scheduled to open in February, the restaurant will be located at 23 3rd Avenue between St. Mark’s Place and East 9th Street. A sign posted at the site announces the contest and directs participants to the web site for more information. The contest will end on February 9th, by which time a name will be chosen. The restaurant name will be revealed to the public shortly thereafter at the space.

Frustrated at the lack of genuine falafel and quality shawarma (gyro), available locally, the owner hatched the idea to open a restaurant that served these dishes as they taste in Israel – flavorful, delicious and made of the finest ingredients. For this purpose they’ve brought in experts on Israeli fare and are even installing a pita-baking oven on the premises.

The restaurant will serve impeccably fresh food, perfect for those looking for a quick, healthy and inexpensive meal (most menu items will be less than $5.00). The planned environment will be warm, welcoming and modern – a great spot to sit and comfortably have a bite. Menu items include Falafel, Kosher Shawarma, Homemade Pita, Made-to-Order Salads and Malabi.

“We’re looking for a name that conveys a high level of quality,” says the owner. “In brainstorming options for a name, we decided who better to ask than our potential clients? New Yorkers are a creative and opinionated bunch so we put it in their hands.”

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