Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Colors, Restaurant Run by 9/11 Survivors, Hangs On
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 31, 2008
Modified Mar 31, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 31, 2008
Modified Mar 31, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Colors, the feel-good restaurant on Lafayette Street owned and operated by Windows on the World employees who were spared on 9/11, is reportedly back from the brink of ruin. The fine dining restaurant opened two years ago as one of New York’s few cooperative restaurants, with everyone from busboys to chefs sharing ownership and a menu featuring international cuisine created by the multi-ethnic staff.
Though Colors did well during the first burst of publicity, business ultimately slowed to a crawl as the cooperative decision making process proved ineffective and high prices deterred diners. Last year they often struggled to pay the $20,000 rent, employees went unpaid for weeks, and closure seemed inevitable. But today the AP reports that Christopher Faulkner, a new chef brought in last November, has turned things around. Workers also agreed to a pay cut, lowering the minimum wage from $13.50 to $9.45 an hour, and entrée prices have been dropped out of the prohibitive $40 range.
Now Colors is back in the black and Faulkner sees the restaurant as a symbol of renewal: “This is one of the good things left after 9/11. People are tired of hearing about death and victims. Colors is about food, nurturing, and life.”
Photo courtesy John Mariani
Tagged
9/11
co-op
colors
food
global
lafayette
manhattan
new york city
restaurant
september 11
staff
workers
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .