A new restaurant in Science Park is bringing food to the Yale community — and may bolster the economy as well.
Ivy Bistro, a new Asian-themed eatery owned by Ivy Noodle proprietor Coreen Guo, officially opened its doors Wednesday morning with an 11:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. The bistro is the first restaurant to open in the Science Park Garage as part of a cooperative project sponsored by Yale’s University Properties. The project aims to build on the economic growth potential in the Science Park area, University Properties Director Abigail Rider said.
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“Ivy Bistro is a trailblazer at Science Park,” Rider said. “They see that this is an underserved market and are poised to take advantage of the growth in the area.”
Ivy Bistro is the second University-oriented business opened by Guo — Ivy Noodle on Broadway is also leased from University Properties. The restaurant will cater to the Winchester Avenue area and Science Park workers, and is also within walking distance of Science Hill.
“As a restaurateur who’s been in New Haven for over 13 years,” Guo said, “I am very excited about the expansion into Science Park.”
Science Park — which is centered at the Munson Street Triangle north of campus — currently has over 25,000 square feet of retail space available for lease, according to the University Properties press release. The park currently hosts over 800 Yale employees, as well as 200 employees of other New Haven businesses such as Higher One, a company founded by Yale graduates in 2000.
The Science Park Garage, where the bistro is located, plays a major role in University Properties’ economic development plans. It is being leased to developers through a partnership between University Properties and Winstanley Enterprises, which owns the building.
She added that the Science Park Garage is expected to provide further retail opportunities to entrepreneurs like Guo in the future.
A number of University and city officials, including New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., attended Ivy Bistro’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. The mayor said he expects the restaurant’s location, which is at the intersection of several New Haven areas, to benefit the development of business in the area.
According to Guo, Ivy Bistro is emphasizing on customer service during its opening days.
Ivy Bistro offered free lunch to all those who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday. Three students interviewed at the event said the restaurant’s location is best asset.
“It’s about a four-minute walk over from Science Hill,” Andrew Yu ’15 said. Jonathan Yao ’15 compared the walking distance to that of walking from Science Hill to Commons. Both students are currently taking organic chemistry on the Hill.
Ivy Bistro is located at 302 Winchester Ave. Its current hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The menu, printed in multiple languages, offers primarily Asian cuisine, with prices ranging from $2.50 for basic plates to $9.50 for specialty dishes.