Proving the maxim that "rumors are always true," the MTA has announced that Grand Central Station will indeed get a 23,000-square-foot Apple store, so weary travelers can gum up the display iPads with their greasy Shake Shack fingers and yell at nerds who have the power to void their service warranties. According to the Post, the store will be Apple's largest in the world, and takes the place of the Métrazur in the terminal's north and northeast balconies. Fans of the restaurant should take heart that the Chirping Chicken is going nowhere.
The 10-year lease agreement, which is expected to be approved by the city's financial board on Monday, stipulates that Apple's rent is close to $500,000 more than Métrazur's: $800,000 annually. And after 10 years that figure will jump to more than $1 million. That is, if Microsoft doesn't kick them out of the space after crushing the iPod with the Zune and totally pouncing on the tablet market—which they will any day now. Apparently Apple is aware of how valuable their presence is: they reportedly submitted their bid for a store "in linen-lined boxes." What's in it for the MTA? "a minimum of $5 million in profits," which is just enough to pay the salaries of their top 20 highest paid employees!
