case studies

barry callebaut

45 ninth avenue

International chocolatier Barry Callebaut leased the fourth floor of 45 Ninth Avenue, which was being marketed by the MONA team. The tenant plans to use the space as an invite-only kitchen where top chefs and restauranteurs can either cook with Callebaut’s chocolate or enjoy dishes that include it as an ingredient. Although the deal was temporarily placed on hold due to COVID-19, the MONA team’s diligence and constant following up with Callebaut’s brokers led to a finalized lease for the brand’s New York City flagship.

ben soleimani

601 madison avenue

High-end home furnishings retailer Ben Soleimani hired the MONA team to spearhead his search for a Manhattan flagship. Soleimani, who specializes in antique rugs and luxury furniture, had an existing location in West Hollywood, CA. After an extended search that was greatly complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, MONA’s efforts paid off when Soleimani leased Tourneau’s former retail space at 601 Madison Avenue. The deal received extensive publicity since it was Soleimani’s first East Coast location and because it was one of the highest profile Madison Avenue deals of 2021. The Manhattan location of Ben Soleimani is now open.

breitling

875 washington street

While representing the ownership of 875 Washington Street, MONA leased the retail at the corner of Washington Street and West 14th Street to international luxury watch retailer Breitling. The deal came about during MONA’s efforts to lure high-end watch retailers to 875 Washington Street in the red-hot Meatpacking District by cheekily rebranding the street as “WATCH-ington Street.” Breitling’s location at 875 Washington Street is currently under construction and is set to open in Q3 of 2022.

cinq a sept

108 wooster street

coolspa

50 e 61st street

forma pilates

473 west broadway

MONA represented Forma Pilates, a red-hot boutique fitness brand based in Los Angeles, in the search for their first New York City studio. Forma offers private and semi-private lessons in a boutique setting and is a favorite of A-list celebrities. After several months of searching, MONA negotiated a lease on Forma’s behalf for 2,500 sf of second floor space at 473 West Broadway in Soho. Forma’s New York City studio is now open.

fusalp

713 madison avenue

MONA successfully secured a lease for French outerwear brand Fusalp at 713 Madison Avenue. Fusalp, which opened for business in 1952, is one of the oldest and most prestigious names in the luxury ski wear industry. This lease marked a relocation of Fusalp’s store at 625 Madison Avenue. Formerly operated as Longchamp’s Madison Avenue flagship store, 713 Madison is ideally situated on the avenue and surrounded by luxury brands such as Chloe, Panerai and Hermes. Due to Fusalp being under a time crunch and needing to be open that fall, MONA leveraged its relationship with the landlord of the building to swiftly have a lease signed in under three weeks.

l’abeille

412 greenwich street

The MONA team leased the corner retail unit at 412 Greenwich Street in Tribeca to an established chef specializing in French cuisine. The previous tenant, Dig, departed the space after a prolonged closure due to COVID-19. Technically an off-market opportunity, MONA negotiated a final term sheet within weeks of being hired for the assignment. The space was leased so quickly that MONA never officially released marketing materials for the available unit. L’abeille opened to rave reviews in the Spring of 2022.

luisaviaroma

1 bond street

With nearly 8,000 sf of retail space in a gorgeous cast-iron building, 1 Bond Street is a very special asset located on a prime block in Noho. To market the retail at 1 Bond Street, MONA optimized unique selling points of the retail space and its neighborhood to curate a target list of top tenants, employed strategic marketing efforts, and leveraged their longstanding industry relationships. The MONA team’s thoughtful advice and negotiations on behalf of ownership resulted in a lease to Luisaviaroma, a famed Florentine luxury retailer with a cult e-commerce following. Luisaviaroma will now have its first U.S. outpost at 1 Bond Street, directly across from exclusive private club Zero Bond and on the same stretch as cutting-edge retailers such as Showfields and Kith. Vogue, WWD, and the Robb Report named Luisaviaroma’s expansion to 1 Bond Street as a crucial sign of New York City’s importance to the luxury market. The Real Deal ranked Luisaviaroma’s lease at 1 Bond Street as one of New York City’s largest retail transactions for the fourth quarter of 2022.

me+em

980 madison avenue

Since 980 Madison Avenue is one of the most well-positioned assets on the avenue, it was no surprise that MONA, acting as agent of landlord RFR, quickly secured a lease with ME+EM, a London-based women’s fashion brand. ME+EM will occupy the approximately 1,900 sf ground floor space that was previously Rebecca Taylor. This lease not only marks ME+EM’s first US store but is also the kickoff of the brand’s US retail expansion. ME+EM knew that 980 Madison Avenue was the perfect spot for their brand due to the amazing co-tenancy in the building; Tanya Taylor and Veronica Beard’s new boutiques—whose leases were also negotiated by MONA—are set to open in Fall of 2023. The Commercial Observer said it best: “980 Madison Avenue may just be the best dressed building on the Upper East Side.”

padel haus

307 kent avenue

MONA was retained by Santiago Gomez, co-founder of enormously popular Mexican restaurants ATLA and Cosme, to find the first location for his new upscale padel concept, Padel Haus. The most challenging aspect of the search was finding a space that met Padel Haus’s strict requirements for ceiling heights and column-space. MONA negotiated a lease at 307 Kent Street, a 30,000-sf warehouse in red- hot Williamsburg, Brooklyn that was formerly home to event venue VILLAIN. With a flood of new padel concepts now attempting to find suitable space in New York City, MONA is proud to have been first to market with this intriguing and in-demand requirement.

plantshed

31 jane street

While MONA frequently represents landlords with a national or international presence, the team enjoys having the opportunity to bring the same level of world class service to smaller landlords as well. MONA was retained by the co-op board of 31 Jane Street in the West Village to market the building’s corner retail space. The retail at 31 Jane Street was leased by PlantShed, a fast-expanding New York City chain whose stores sell flowers, coffee, and pastries. When PlantShed opens its doors in 2022, residents of 31 Jane Street will have access to a wonderful café for their morning coffee, a fantastic flower shop to celebrate all of life’s most special moments, and a long-term lease that will generate a steady flow of income for the building.

showfields

multiple locations

MONA acted as the master broker for direct-to-consumer department store Showfields in lease negotiations for four flagship stores: 11 Bond Street in NoHo, Manhattan; 187 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 530 Lincoln Road in Miami, Florida; and 3077 M Street in Washington, DC. “The Most Interesting Store in the World” plans to open several more locations in major cities across the United States.

solana spaces

215 nw 24th street

When Solana Spaces, the physical retail arm of blockchain and cryptocurrency giant Solana, decided to explore a location in Miami, MONA added expertise as a retail consultant. Solana Spaces signed a 4,200 sf retail lease at The Annex, a creative office building in the red-hot Wynwood neighborhood. The new location, named Solana Embassy, will serve as a store, lounge, community center, and event venue.

tanya taylor

980 Madison Avenue

One of the most luxurious and historically significant buildings on the Upper East Side, 980 Madison Avenue attracts contemporary retail tenants unlike any other building in the neighborhood.  MONA successfully represented landlord RFR in leasing a 2,800+ sf retail space formerly occupied by Douglas Elliman to Tanya Taylor, a women’s contemporary fashion brand.   Tanya Taylor’s first independent retail store will be a seamless fit with RFR’s well curated roster of 980 Madison Avenue co-tenants.  MONA strategically leveraged the historically low retail inventory on the block to RFR’s advantage by holding firm on taking rents, securing both a great tenant and a great base rent for this renowned building.

trinity boxing club

20 vesey street

After an extensive marketing period exacerbated by the effects of COVID-19 on the retail market, 20 Vesey Street was leased by Trinity Boxing Club, whose principal, Martin Snow, was regularly featured on the enormously popular Bravo television show The Real Housewives of New York City. The unique attributes of 20 Vesey Street, including extensive window frontage and high ceilings, made it the ideal space for Snow’s latest boxing gym. Upon opening, Trinity Boxing Club will appeal to a mix of old school boxing enthusiasts and devotees of the Real Housewives franchise.

venus over manhattan

55 great jones street

55 Great Jones Street in NoHo was leased by the MONA team to art gallery Venus Over Manhattan just two months after MONA began their marketing efforts. Venus Over Manhattan clearly understood the value of 55 Great Jones Street’s gallery-friendly layout and location and placed an offer shortly after touring. The MONA team guided every step of the process to completion as quickly as possible, realizing that speed of execution was crucial to both the landlord and tenant. From start to finish, the lease of 55 Great Jones Street was one of the fastest transactions in MONA’s history and offers further proof that retail in NoHo is as strong as ever.