Steve Ells, founder of Chipotle, is opening the second location of his plant-forward, robot-run eatery, Kernel, at New York University’s 15 East Fourth Street. The 1,300-square-foot space sits at the corner of Fourth and Lafayette streets. This move follows Kernel’s first location at 315 Park Avenue South. 

“Our aim is to create a restaurant that is as special as the neighborhood it serves,” said Ells. “We are now more inspired than ever to welcome the NoHo community to eat at Kernel come fall.”  

Newmark’s Ariel Schuster, Mitch Heifetz, and Evan Roteman brokered the deal for Kernel, while Colliers’ David Tricarico and Jake Horowitz represented NYU. The building, purchased by NYU in April 2023 for $97.5 million, also houses La Colombe Coffee Roasters, Lafayette House Painting, Coffeeface, and PebblePost.