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Pommes Frites Seeking Donations to Help with Greenwich Village Move

By Lisha Arino | June 30, 2015 10:14am | Updated on June 30, 2015 7:42pm
 Pommes Frites' Belgian fries and assortment of dipping sauces are moving to Greenwich Village, where the owners hope to reopen later this year.
Pommes Frites' Belgian fries and assortment of dipping sauces are moving to Greenwich Village, where the owners hope to reopen later this year.
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Facebook/Pommes Frites

GREENWICH VILLAGE — French fry haven Pommes Frites is looking for some help with their move to MacDougal Street.

The popular Belgian fry stand — which was located in the East Village until a gas explosion destroyed its building in March — launched an IndieGoGo campaign Tuesday morning to raise $64,000 for new equipment.

“While we did have insurance, receiving a settlement is a slow-moving process — and what’s more, because Pommes Frites has been in operation so long, many of our assets will be considered fully or significantly depreciated,” owners Suzanne Levinson and Omer Shorshi wrote on the website, adding they that did not know how much money they would receive or when they would receive it.

“In short, it's likely that we’ll be getting much less than we need to re-open.”

Supporters can receive rewards for their donations, which range from a free order of regular fries and a sauce to a private party inside the new location.

Pommes Frites opened on Second Avenue near East Seventh Street in 1996, but decided to move west when they could not find affordable rents in the neighborhood.

The owners are aiming for an autumn opening in the slightly larger space, they said, and plan to add “beautiful medieval timber-frame Tudor design touches.”

Shorshi and Levinson are also applying for a liquor license “so adult patrons can enjoy a Belgian ale with their cone of frites, just like you might in Brussels or Bruges.” They are scheduled to go in front of Community Board 2’s liquor license committee on July 14, according to the board’s website.

Monday’s campaign is the owners’ second fundraising effort. An online campaign launched shortly after the explosion raised about $2,500, Shorshi previously told DNAinfo.

Supporters from the original fundraiser can also get a “perk” for their donation, which will correspond to the rewards on the IndieGoGo website, said a spokesman. Donors can email pommesfritesnyc@gmail.com to make arrangements with the owners.