Foodies flocking to West Eighth Street

A French macaron maker will spend the next decade at a 400-square-foot shopfront on the corner of Fifth Avenue and West Eighth Street.

Foodies’ appetite for space on West Eighth Street is still rising, even in the teeth of soaring rents. The latest arrival is Maison Adam, a French macaron bakery founded more than 350 years ago. It recently signed a 10-year deal for 400 square feet at 1 W. Eighth St., at Fifth Avenue. The bakery, located next door to new boutique hotel Marlton House, will replace Populence, a gourmet popcorn shop that only opened last year.

“Eighth Street is exploding, in one blink it will be another Bleecker,” said Steve Rappaport, the Sinvin Real Estate broker who represented landlord Benchmark 10. “This is another in the myriad groups of new high-end stores opening on this rapidly changing block.” The block has also recently attracted 5oz. Factory, a cheese and custard seller from Wisconsin, and trendy coffee roaster Stumptown. A gourmet chicken finger shop is located nearby.

Indeed, the rents are already reflecting rising demand. Since April alone, asking prices on the strip have nearly doubled—asking rent for the Maison Adam space was $217 per square foot. The macaron maker, which was represented in negotiations by Thibaud Vieuille of City Square Group, should be open for business within three months.