Bondi Sushi Leases 4,400 SF at Rockefeller Group's 1221 Avenue of the Americas for Largest NYC Restaurant

Bondi Sushi has leased 4,400 square feet at 1221 Avenue of the Americas in Rockefeller Center for its latest and largest New York City restaurant, Rockefeller Group announced Nov. 9. The New York and Miami restaurant brand plans to open the location in 2027.

Rockefeller Group, the New York-based property developer and owner of the 2.6-million-square-foot tower, said the space will include a standalone cocktail bar and Bondi Sushi's first private dining room. Masonre represented Bondi Sushi in the transaction, while CBRE and an in-house team represented Rockefeller Group.

Bondi Sushi Lease at 1221 Avenue of the Americas: Deal Details

The restaurant will occupy street-level space steps from Avenue of the Americas along West 48th Street in Rockefeller Center. Bondi Sushi co-founder and COO Aiden Carty said the location is the company's largest to date, with double-height ceilings, a standalone cocktail bar, a private dining room and a substantial takeout area with mobile kiosks.

"The space is our largest to date, with double-height ceilings, a standalone cocktail bar, our first private dining room and a substantial takeout area with mobile kiosks for the fast-moving midtown crowd," Carty said. "1221 provides the blank canvas we need to deliver some unexpected and welcome design flourishes that will delight."

Bondi Sushi was represented by Masonre's David Abrams and Jeff Jacobsen. Rockefeller Group was represented by CBRE's Eric Gelber and Jordan Kaplan, along with an in-house team led by Marisa Gadlin, Rockefeller Group's Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice President.

Bondi Sushi's Midtown Expansion

Founded in 2017, Bondi Sushi serves sushi, crispy rice, sashimi, nigiri and maki, with locations from Tribeca to the Upper East Side and in Miami. The company opened its first Midtown location in early 2026 near Bryant Park. The 1221 Avenue of the Americas restaurant will be its fifteenth location.

"We are thrilled to be planning our fifteenth location at such a storied address in 1221 Avenue of the Americas," said David Hess, CEO and co-founder of Bondi Sushi. "On the heels of our successful Bryant Park opening this year, we're excited to serve even more of the Midtown Manhattan crowd in both the sushi bar and takeout. Our menus have evolved alongside our interior design, and we will be launching new food and drink items tailored to large groups – from the office lunch outing to the private dining room experience."

Carty described the Rockefeller Center restaurant as "the natural expansion of a steady and successful rollout of the more relaxed yet curated dining experience that our customers crave."

Rockefeller Center Property Context

Developed in the modern expansion of Rockefeller Center to the west side of Sixth Avenue, 1221 Avenue of the Americas totals 2.6 million square feet. The building is home to companies in finance, law, media and entertainment. Bondi Sushi will join existing restaurant and food-service tenants including Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, Oceana and the Italian coffee bar Zibetto.

"We are pleased to welcome Bondi Sushi and its team to 1221 Avenue of the Americas," Gadlin said. "We're excited for their plans to bring a fresh, innovative and refined dining experience to tenants, visitors and residents on a daily basis."

Manhattan Restaurant Leasing Market

The lease comes as food and beverage tenants have led Manhattan retail leasing in 2026. Restaurants, cafés and specialty-food concepts accounted for 39.4% of year-to-date Manhattan retail leasing volume through midyear, and food and beverage tenants represented 39.7% of signed deals in the city's 12 prime retail corridors through the third quarter.

Supply on Manhattan's premier retail corridors remains limited. Availability fell to 10.4% in the second quarter of 2026, well below the pandemic-era peak of 27.8% in the first quarter of 2021. A separate New York retail report put overall availability near 4.2% in the first quarter and identified spaces under 5,000 square feet in prime corridors as especially competitive.

Larger restaurants have been concentrated in Midtown, where Cushman & Wakefield reported multiple sizable restaurant transactions in Midtown and Times Square. Market reports also describe elevated build-out costs and limited supply, which can make adaptable restaurant-oriented spaces valuable to expanding operators.

Outlook

With its Bryant Park location opened earlier this year and the Rockefeller Center restaurant planned for 2027, Bondi Sushi will have two Midtown locations. The 4,400-square-foot footprint falls within the size range that has drawn strong tenant demand in prime Manhattan corridors, where restaurant users continue to account for a large share of leasing activity.

Sources

• Rockefeller Group: Bondi Sushi Leases 4,400-SF for Its Latest and Largest NYC Restaurant to Date