Food court to hit the spot at Penn Station
There’ll be a lot fewer hungry commuters at the Big Apple’s busiest transportation hub, The Post has learned.
An upscale food court featuring celebrity chef Mario Batali and celebrity butcher Pat LaFrieda is moving into the former Borders book store at 2 Penn Plaza — located on the street level above the busy Pennsylvania Station railroad terminal.
A year in the works, the food court, to be called The Pennsy at Pennsylvania Plaza, is expected to open in early January.
The 8,000squarefoot space is the brainchild of caterer Mary Giuliani, whose clients include Bradley Cooper, Stella McCartney and Carolina Herrera.
Giuliani will open Mario by Mary, a soup and sandwich joint, in the new space.
The neighborhood sorely lacks better dining options, but Vornado Realty Trust, which is the landlord of the space, located on Seventh Avenue at 33rd Street, and owns the vast majority of commercial space in the area, is investing millions of dollars to improve the public plazas and retail in the community.
Giuliani declined to comment on terms of the deal, but she said the venue is not a popup like the previous tenants who have used the space since Borders closed five years ago.
“All of the tenants are partners and were involved in the conception of the space,” said Giuliani.
The food court will also include chef Franklin Becker’s The Little Beet — his second location in Gotham — and a new eatery by chef Marc Forgione, called Lobster Press.
In addition, a popular vegan cuisine food truck, The Cinnamon Snail, is opening its first brickandmortar outlet there.
There will be communal tables and seating for about 300 in addition to The Bar at The Pennsy, which aims to be a happyhour spot for commuters and sports fans.