Finding the Right Location: Gut, Math, and Knowing When to Commit
Everyone wants a formula for picking the perfect location. There isn’t one. It’s instinct sharpened by experience, supported by ruthless economics.
Your gut reacts before the spreadsheet ever does. It’s the ceiling height, the corner, the way people arrive already dressed for the night. It’s whether a block has gravity. After enough openings, that voice gets very clear.
That’s how I felt the first time I walked the Sirrah space.
The Meatpacking District has always been cyclical—but the through-line is energy. I’ve watched it evolve from industrial and raw, to nightlife-driven, to luxury retail and hotels, and now into something more balanced: dining, fashion, culture, and late-night all coexisting again. The best neighborhoods don’t die—they recalibrate.
Sirrah sits in the middle of that recalibration.
The area already had what great operators look for. The same ecosystem that supports Pastis, RH Guesthouse, Meduza, Tao—places that don’t rely on discounts or novelty. People come ready. The foot traffic is intentional, not accidental. You’re not educating the guest; you’re meeting them where they already are.
You don’t create that energy. You plug into it.
Then the economics had to earn the right to move forward. Rent-to-sales made sense. The footprint worked for a dramatic bar and real flow. Ceiling height allowed for mood and density. Late-night volume was real, not theoretical. Once the math cleared the baseline, instinct took over.
For me it’s 60% gut, 40% economics—but only after the numbers work. If the deal doesn’t pencil, the gut doesn’t get a vote. But once it does, you trust what you’ve learned over time.
The biggest mistake I see is operators chasing “good deals” instead of good locations. Cheap rent in the wrong place will cost you years. The right location carries you through cycles.
When instinct and discipline align, you stop second-guessing.
You know.