NEW YORK — Natalka Burian and Betsy Nadel knew they wanted to start a business together and they thought it would involve either fashion or alcohol.
“We always joked about somehow having a business that combined the two because that’s where we seemed to spend all of our money,” Burian said.
In September, they opened The Hanger, the roughly 1,000-square-foot boutique bar in the East Village at 217 East 3rd Street. It’s equal parts clothing boutique and full-service bar with all the trimmings: a signature drink (Staten Island Iced Tea), six beers on tap behind the long oak bar, a jukebox, and, of course, a happy hour.
“Two years ago, we really started thinking about this, so we drafted a business plan, marched around the city and looked for spaces to rent,” said Burian, 23, a graduate of New York University. One real estate broker they encountered, a “naysayer and terrible man,” as Burian recalled, said they were crazy for thinking a boutique and bar could co-exist.
Once Burian secured a loan, though, they asked Michael Eisenberg, Nadel’s former boss at Alice’s Tea Cup on the Upper West Side, where she worked as a waitress, to help explain the ins and outs of opening their own establishment. “He was invaluable,” she said.
In January 2004, Burian and Nadel, 24, a graduate of The New School, applied to the New York State Liquor Authority for a liquor license, which took nine months to acquire (“It took forever to get approval,” Burian said with a sigh), and began procedures with Community Board 3.
“It was tough because there are already so many bars in this neighborhood, and they are really concerned with keeping the family aspect of the neighborhood alive,” Burian said.
The boutique stocks mostly women’s vintage clothing and accessories, though Burian said it is carrying work by local designer Michela Romesburg, whose collection features tops made from playful, Seventies-inspired prints. The clothing typically retails for $5 to $100. Shoes may be found for as little as $5, with prices reaching as much as $80 for a pair of vintage Oscar de la Renta fuchsia and aqua heels. Burian and Nadel take buying trips along the East Coast to scour flea markets and secondhand shops to replenish their stock. Designers are also welcome to sell their wares on consignment.
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Burian and Nadel met two years ago when they were waitresses at Cafe Gigi in the East Village. “Fashion was something we both had in common, so we tried to figure out a way to make this all work,” Burian said. About 85 percent of The Hanger’s revenue comes from bar sales, but that doesn’t mean the boutique will have a short shelf life.
“I do think people truly enjoy the novelty of it,” said Burian, who is in the shop daily, along with Nadel, rehanging tops and dresses, and behind the bar at night mixing cocktails. Burian and Nadel are always on hand, but will sometimes give their friend, Michael Yinger, a night shift. “I really think it’s a natural combination,” she said. “Having a few drinks makes you feel better about purchasing something.”
The early evening tends to be a busy time for The Hanger. “We get more browsers than drinkers during the day,” Burian noted. “But a lot of people come in for happy hour and that’s when they do a lot of shopping.”
During the week, patrons sip cocktails next to racks of clothes, day or night, but on bustling Friday and Saturday nights, Burian and Nadel tend to bring the clothes into the basement to avoid the obvious hazards.
“We’ve had a few issues where people have walked off with items,” Burian said. Sticky fingers don’t seem to be the only hazard. “Someone actually threw up on a dress, but she was really nice about it and bought it.”