Reopenings

Floridita Fights Columbia for Its Life

Photo: City Room/NYT

Last week, Manhattanville’s Cuban fixture, Floridita, was forced to close after its landlord, Columbia University, determined that a buckling kitchen floor wasn’t safe. Owner Ramon Diaz had wanted to stay open for another four months while renovating a new location that Columbia had offered, but he didn’t succeed in convincing the University. Now, however, City Room reports that the restaurant is up and running again, with Diaz and a skeleton crew operating out of a small bakery kitchen. Still, the fight goes on: “University officials have informed Mr. Diaz he faces a potential default on his lease for not having allowed them contractors access to the kitchen on April 27. But Mr. Diaz says he has security camera footage from that day showing several university officials meeting with him and inspecting the kitchen.”

An Embattled Restaurant Reopens, Sort Of [City Room/NYT]

Floridita Fights Columbia for Its Life