Plaza approves bubble tea, crepe shop applications

Joe Nikic

After receiving conditional-use permits from the Village of Great Neck Plaza Board of Trustees last Wednesday, representatives of two food businesses said they are seeking to offer residents a service they can’t find elsewhere on the peninsula.

“Basically what we’re looking to do is take the store and create a service area,” said Edna Guilor, a local architect and former Village of Great Neck trustee, who was representing ViVi Bubble Tea.

The store, to be located at 6B South Station Plaza, would operate as a bubble tea provider where shoppers can get fresh drinks, salads and noodles made on the premises, Guilor said.

She said the business was looking to utilize its basement as a lounge area for activities like karaoke, birthday parties and “tech meet-ups.”

“I thought the tech meetings could really attract people from out of our town,” Guilor said. “It’s something the kids, not teenagers but people in their 20s, are really interested in now.”

“We thought this would add something that nobody else offers,” she added.

While she said she liked the idea, Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender said she was concerned with patrons bringing alcohol into the store if the basement was rented out for private parties.

Guilor said the store’s owners had no intention of serving or allowing alcohol in the store.

“Alcohol is not part of the application and will not be allowed in the place,” she said. “They will not rent it out to someone. It will be part of the operation.”

Trustees also voiced concern about the applicant’s request to remain open until midnight or later due noise caused by karaoke music.

Deputy Mayor Ted Rosen suggested making a provision in the conditional-use permit to require the applicant to return in front of the board to discuss an earlier closing time should residents complain of the noise.

“I have no objection going to midnight but with the understanding that if we receive complaints, we would send them a notice to come back and we’d say we’re rolling back the time from 1 a.m. to 11 p.m.”

Guilor said the owners were interested in keeping the store opened until at least midnight for residents looking for a late-night snack or quick drink.

Due to its close proximity to the Great Neck Long Island Rail Road station, Rosen said, he thought a store open late would make people waiting for trains feel safer.

ViVi Bubble Tea is anticipating opening in the village by May.

Bubble tea is a cold, fizzy drink made with iced tea, sweetened milk or other products.

T-Swirl Crepe, a franchise serving Japanese-influenced versions of the traditional French crepe, will be located at 71 Middle Neck Road.

Edward Wu, who was representing T-Swirl Crepe, said the franchise had six operating stores but Great Neck would be its first on Long Island.

The franchise’s other store locations are in Manhattan, Queens and Pennsylvania.

Wu said the store would offer both dessert-style and meal-style crepes shaped like ice cream cones.

The crepe cones, he said, are securely placed in a special container to combat the sloppiness of similar foods like burritos.

“It is very convenient for the consumer to take it on the go,” Wu said.

He also said T-Swirl Crepe would open by the end of May or beginning of June.

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