Manifest Review

Having been encouraged by the Obama administration's support of small businesses, owner Brandon Reid's epiphany that yielded the thoroughly wrought business plan for Manifest as a daytime café could not have come at a better time. "What we're doing is nothing original. We're just filling a need by providing a place for business people, students, and Chinatown dwellers to get together and get work done," explained Reid, a former bartender of Bar 35 and Murphy's here in Chinatown. 

Located on Hotel Street across from Bar 35 and Thirtynine Hotel, Manifest is designed to feature art and encourage conversation in the community. Manifest will offer a full espresso bar and a catered food menu featuring wraps and salads from Whole in the Wall Kitchen during the day. With plans to become a bar and lounge at night, Brandon emphasizes his sensitivity to the community and assures that he is not trying to create a loud, hip bar, "I want this place to be well lit, where people can see and hear each other."

In catering to the Downtown business crowd, Brandon's spot will offer free wireless but stresses that he does not want Manifest to be "a place where people are completely zoned into their computer screens...I want this spot to serve as a catalyst to get people with ideas to think together...I want movements to be started here." A visionary indeed, Brandon sees Manifest as not just a bar but a tool to stimulate ideas and advance connectivity and awareness by offering creative workshops, writing seminars, and offering the venue to upcoming artists and non-profit organizations' fundraisers.

 Standing against the original red brick siding of the venue, Reid explains, "A year ago, I would never have thought I'd be standing here today." Well, Brandon, looks like you just manifested your destiny. 

Comments: supercw on December 28th, 2009 wrote: nothing but arty future husbands and supermodel looking girls. all the time. love this place. Corey on September 14th, 2009 wrote: Went in for a few minutes. Very small spot, but very nice. Definitely not a nightclub."" Daniel from SoHo on September 2nd, 2009 wrote: stoked for Brandon and for Chinatown. cheee Please Sign In or Sign Up to leave comments.