By Tara Kyle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
GREENWICH VILLAGE — If London-based dessert purveyor Wafflemeister wants to plant its first U.S. outpost in Greenwich Village, it should should ditch the "mall-like" façade, according to community residents.
Wafflemeister intends to bring its niche take-out desserts to 257 Bleecker St., but Community Board 2’s landmarks committee voted unanimously against the eatery’s proposed design, arguing it would clash with the neighborhood's aesthetic and run afoul of the recent extension of the Greenwich Village Historic District.
“I think it’s just terrible,” committee member Andrew Jones said of the proposal, which included 1950s-era signage, brushed metal columns and three windows facing a heavily residential Cornelia Street.
Susan Gammie, a public attendee and 30-year resident of Cornelia Street, was one of several people who compared the proposed façade to something found in a shopping mall, calling the plan “extremely troubling to me aesthetically.”
In an effort to alleviate concerns, Wafflemeister’s design team will examine photographs of the location from the 1920s and 1930s, according to Tim Rooney of Metzger/Metzger Associates, which represents the eatery.
“We obviously want to work with the residents and take their suggestions into consideration,” said Alex Troullier, the company’s German-born owner and founder, over the phone from London. “I can understand where they are coming from.”
Troullier added that they already plan on reducing the size of Wafflemeister’s proposed awning and logo.
As for the food, in 2011, the dessert shop intends to introduce new flavors inspired by American palettes, Troullier said. These will include savory waffle toppings such as bacon, cheese, eggs and chicken.
The eatery's next hurdle is a public hearing before the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Sept. 7. The company is looking to open its Bleecker Street location by late fall.
