It Ain't Over Yet

For Once, a Beloved But Troubled Neighborhood Joint Won’t Actually Close

Good news.
Good news. Photo: Yun Cee Ng

This is a welcome change of pace from the seemingly endless parade of neighborhood favorites and institutions closing. Late last year, Mark Henegan revealed that his longtime Fort Greene restaurant Madiba was in serious trouble and, without help, would be crushed under the weight of financial pressures, including high-interest debts, tax issues, and fallout from failed expansions. The restaurateur launched a crowdfunding campaign to save the restaurant and, at the time, was trying to raise $200,000 in just two months. While he didn’t come close to reaching that goal, Madiba will stay open and, Henegan says, even expand to include a rooftop garden. He was able to raise $20,000, and courtesy of those funds and a renegotiated lease — Henegan said the restaurant had been without one for seven years — Fort Greene will not lose one of its longtime favorite restaurants. Here’s hoping Henegan & Co. can get the house in order.

[Fort Greene Focus]

Madiba Will Stay Open