Westville To Open at 540 Third Avenue in Murray Hill

Westville is getting ready to open its 12th location in the U.S. and bring a selection of classic American foods to Manhattan’s Murray Hill neighborhood.

The restaurant brand just signed a 4,148-square-foot lease at the base of 540 Third Avenue, also known as the Dian, a 22-story, 160-unit residential building at the corner of Third Avenue and East 36th Street, according to broker Meridian Capital Group.

The lease comprises 2,739 square feet on the ground floor and 1,409 square feet on the lower level. The asking rent and the length of the lease were not disclosed, but the average asking rent for retail space in the nearby Herald Square area was $394 per square foot during the second quarter of 2026, according to CBRE data.

CBRE’s Robert Bonicoro and Betsy Da Silva represented Westville in the lease, while Meridian’s James Famularo and Jordan Langer represented ownership, which is a joint venture between Gilar Realty and Ranco Capital. CBRE did not immediately respond to Commercial Observer’s request for comment.

“Westville had its pick of locations in this market, and its decision to commit long-term at 540 Third Avenue underscores the continued demand for well-built, well-located retail on Third Avenue,” Langer said in a statement.

Meridian did not disclose when Westville will open its new Murray Hill location. The franchise also has Manhattan restaurants in the West Village, Chelsea, the East Village, the Upper East Side and on Wall Street, as well as a spot in  Long Island City, Queens. Westville opened its first location outside of New York City in Northern Virginia.

“When Whole Foods and Westville commit to the same few blocks within months of each other, that is not a coincidence, it is a corridor being repositioned in real time,” Famularo said in a statement. “Ownership delivered a first-class space and held firm on value, and we brought in an operator that will draw customers from the day it opens.”