Village fixture Ennio & Michael will likely close after three decades owing to $200,000 in debt that started piling up when its landlord, NYU, raised its rent by 30 percent. NYU says the hike was “typical, or even below market, for restaurants in the area,” and hasn’t yet served eviction papers. Diner’s Journal says to expect a fall closing, but owner Michael Savarese says he hopes they can ride it out until at least the end of the year. Ennio & Michael is next door to the forthcoming Bareburger beer garden and the shuttered location of Rhong-Tiam, which, according to Fork in the Road, is about to open an “express” location at 31 East 21st Street, with “build-your-own salads, roti wraps, a juice bar, and frozen yogurt.”
The End May Be Near for Ennio & Michael [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
New Rhong-Tiam Will Soon Peddle Salad, Juice, Fro-Yo in Flatiron [Fork in the Road/VV]
