Water damage to a building on West 36^th Street prompted one business owner to find the space she’d been looking for, and allowed another’s dream to begin.

Cerrill Meister, owner of Eye Candy, had operated her business at 900 West 36^th St. for four years. But water damage to the building from rain  last fall forced her to relocate across the street to 849 West 36^th St.,  where she reopened her opticianry shop in May.

At first, Meister said, the new commercial space was a “dark and dreary place.” But after renovations, which included exposing the shop’s brick walls, she’s happy with the location. She said that she had always wanted to be on the south side of the street and prefers the new space’s storefront windows.  

“I hope to be here for a while. Moving is no fun,” Meister said.

As Eye Candy was settling into its new home, Daniela’s, an eatery featuring authentic Sardinian pastries and handmade pasta, opened two weeks ago at the renovated location where Meister had been, at 900 West 36^th St.

Stefano Tanda, son of the eatery’s namesake Daniela Useli, said his family found the location in about three weeks, and opened in about a month-and-a-half. Now his mother, who has cooked at Grano’s Pasta Bar and Sotto Sopra, is focused on making authentic handmade food with ingredients found locally, or from Sardinia. 

“It’s my mom’s dream and I guess it’s coming true,” Tanda said.