Nordstrom’s recently-opened flagship store in New York City has 320,000-square-feet of shopping across seven floors — and no less than 10 restaurants, making it a destination for eating as well as shopping, Forbes reported on Monday (Dec. 30).
Customer service representatives will even bring shoppers a snack or a drink to whatever department they happen to be in, according to Delish.
Nordstrom Vice President of Restaurant Operations Vincent Rossetti told Eater that roughly a quarter of the store’s overall transactions come from food and beverages.
“Our motivation is as simple as trying to drive experience in the store,” he said.
Rossetti told Eater the new restaurants “are giving people an additional reason to come to the store” and act as “a porthole for people to be introduced to Nordstrom.”
“They can have lunch, go to the beauty area, and stay through dinner,” he said. “The New York customer will tell us what they want.”
Nordstrom’s increase in restaurant offerings follows a New York City trend in shopping; dining is becoming a complement to retail as another way to boost profits.
Located on West 57th Street and Broadway, the flagship store opened Oct. 24 and has more eateries than any of its other locations and includes two from award-winning Seattle chefs — Ethan Stowell’s Wolf and Tom Douglas, who will oversee Hani Pacific, Jeannie’s and Oh Mochi.
Other places to eat and drink include Bistro Verde, Broadway Bar, Shoe Bar, Clubhouse Bar, Coffee Bar and Milk Bar.
Salespeople wear headsets so they can order food for shoppers anywhere in the store. The retailer has also installed a bar in the shoe department, aptly called the Shoe Bar, where customers can try cocktails while shopping for footwear.
“It’s the idea of food and beverage as blood sugar maintenance — to keep shoppers in stores longer,” Rossetti said.
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