New York Restaurant Naming Contest: Could you name this joint? They say the person who submits the winning name will receive $2,500, in cash. That's better than a lifetime supply of free falafels.

The full story is in the current issue of The New Yorker. The quick and dirty details are set out in the Press Release reprinted below:

NEW YORK CITY, January 5, 2004 – Erez Itzhaki and Eric Salomon, the owners of an imminent restaurant located in the East Village of New York City, are running a contest for the public to name their establishment. The winning submission will be awarded a cash prize of $2,500. To enter go to www.name-our-restaurant.com .

Scheduled to open in February, the restaurant will be located at 23 3rd Avenue between St. Mark’s Place and East 9th Street. A sign posted at the site announces the contest and directs participants to the web site for more information. The contest will end on February 9th, by which time a name will be chosen. The restaurant name will be revealed to the public shortly thereafter at the space.

Frustrated at the lack of genuine falafel and quality shawarma (gyro), available locally, Eric Salomon and Erez Itzhaki, real estate developers at ESI capital, hatched the idea to open a restaurant that served these dishes as they taste in Israel – flavorful, delicious and made of the finest ingredients. For this purpose they’ve brought in experts on Israeli fare and are even installing a pita-baking oven on the premises.

The restaurant will serve impeccably fresh food, perfect for those looking for a quick, healthy and inexpensive meal (most menu items will be less than $5.00). The planned environment will be warm, welcoming and modern – a great spot to sit and comfortably have a bite. Menu items include Falafel, Kosher Shawarma, Homemade Pita, Made-to-Order Salads and Malabi.

“We’re looking for a name that conveys a high level of quality,” says Erez Itzhaki. “In brainstorming options for a name, we decided who better to ask than our potential clients? New Yorkers are a creative and opinionated bunch so we put it in their hands.”

According to the "name our restaurant" contest website, you don't need to be a New Yorker to enter their contest. And, as of this writing, the contest deadline for submissions has been extended to February 23, 2004.

So far, they say they've received over 13,000 suggestions. No doubt, they'll get many more names before the contest deadline. As these real estate developers and imminent restauranteurs take the next steps in the process of naming and branding, they'll experience the challenges of sorting through the long list of suggestions to determine which name is the correct choice for this new restaurant. Maybe that's another contest.

And the winner is: chickpea