Given our dire predictions, you’d think that we’d be abashed to see yesterday’s article in the Villager denying an imminent sale of Katz’s. But we’re not buying a bit of it! For one thing, everything we’ve said before still stands: The owners are out to make a load of money (we like how they were quoted as saying that they would only sell “for a stupid number — like $50 million” — you know, just in case you were wondering). These are the same owners who have gone on record saying that they’ll sell their air space to a condo if they can keep Katz’s on the ground floor. Given such heightened profit-consciousness, we still feel it’s just a matter of time.
Co-owner Alan Dell says that nowadays, the mainstay of Katz’s business isn’t locals (no surprise there, as trustafarians tend to live on crêpes), but rather tourists aiming for one last hurrah: “It’s really good for us,” Dell said, “because people say, ‘We’ve heard you’re closing next week.’ … They’re coming for their last fix.” The article also mentions that Katz’s is getting plenty of Romanian tourists. Really? Romanians coming to New York to eat pastrami? For this patriotic feat (comparable to selling coals to Newcastle), Katz’s deserves that $50 million.
Katz’s Delicatessen Says Sale Rumors Are Baloney [Villager]
Related: Mother of Mercy! Is This the End of Katz’s?
