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Destination Diner M. Wells Closing At End Of August
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Aug 2, 2011
Modified Aug 2, 2011
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By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Aug 2, 2011
Modified Aug 2, 2011
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It's been a rough week for the food-obsessed: yesterday the Brooklyn Motorino was shut down, and today comes word that M. Wells, the beloved Long Island City "diner" famed for its gonzo-gourmet offerings, will close at the end of the month.
The restaurant, which the New York Times awarded two stars in April and TONY said "serves the most exciting and fearless food this town has seen in years," only signed a one-year lease with their landlord last summer, and renewing it just isn't in the cards. The Hungry Tiger has a full note from owners Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis, who write:
"Alas, we have not been able to strike an agreement with the landlord.His proposal included astronomically high rent, a short length of lease and a strict buy-out clause. Nothing on the table offered us a favorable environment in which to continue to do business. After several months of trying to negotiate, we relented and accepted the fact that we weren’t meant to remain his tenants.
Dufour and Obraitis promise that they'll stay in Long Island City and "we will have you back for brunch as soon as possible." [Via Eater]
UPDATE as of 12:23 p.m.:
The Wall Street Journal has word from employee Ryan Didsbury, who said, “We’re not dead in the water. We have another location, it just has to get refurbished and everything. It’s in Long Island City.” He does not know when it will open.
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