Destination Diner M. Wells Closing At End Of August

The restaurant in full swing (Flickr user ChrisGoldNY)

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.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jamie Feldmar in Food on August 2, 2011 10:50 AM

Comments [rss]

ryan ryan

Did they accuse the landlord of ass-grabbing as well? Seems to be a prevalent tactic for these people.

Dhumavatical

I live in the neighborhood too (not in a luxe condo), and they had a hard time keeping it together once they hit the big time. Before they blew up the food was well-prepared, thoughtfully plated - and truth - most innovative food LIC (dare I say NYC) has seen in a long while. It did become hit or miss, though, that's true. I look forward to their next attempt in a space that can accommodate proper service and preparation.

blobfishcat

M.Wells is far from a "diner." It was a niche restaurant that happened to be in a diner. Considering their primary clientele (I doubt the long-time residents are that into foie gras) are the same people who gentrified the neighborhood and made the landlords salivate rent-wise I really don't feel badly for them at all. Maybe they'll tear down the nice old diner and put up another lux condo. Yeah, we need more of those...

skidzy

i live in the area and i think the food is hit or miss. it's not cheap but not crazy expensive either. typical nyc pricing but worth giving a try.my worst complaint is that everytime you leave, you smell like you took a 10 hour swim in their deep fryer! the space itself was a shithole until they came along so it sounds like another greedy lanlord.

Peanut_Butter

Landlord wants more $. Just like you want a raise at work. Fair?

Social Net Cynic

Every time I have a job for one year, I walk into my boss's office and demand 4 times my salary. I think it's only "fair".

Funny that I've never had a job for more than one year.

Peanut_Butter

Food was below average. And in the middle of nowhere. That's a destination I won't be returning to, unless I'm trying to find a shortcut to the Midtown Tunnel.

Dirk Kennedy

The sad thing is: this beautiful railroad style diner car will be vacant again. M wells was over hyped and way over priced. 8 dollars for 1 egg covered with two tablespoons of tomato sauce is a bit steep. Whomever the landlord is, its safe to assume he's an idiot. In this climate he will now rent to no one.

whatidsay

The fact that they signed a one-year lease may be an indiciation of their own lack of confidence.

Peanut_Butter

Good point. Or maybe the LL didn't offer longer.

Roark

How you call something open less than a year beloved?

Robert Kolb

Over Hyped hipster S-Show

AndAmp

If the food is good, who cares how the people who go there look?

Robert Kolb

The food wasn't good the two times my wife and i went. Both times we
were served cold food and when we sent it back we got attitude. Lets
not even talk about the lack of AC or cross contamination we saw going on
behind the counter.

Anthony Accardi

some of the best food in the world is based on cross contamination!

Fofofofofo

Damn, dude. You summarized my review of this restaurant.

eflash

they turned this shithole into a celebrated restaurant and look at the thanks the landlord is giving them.

ktinnyc

Yep, I lived down the street for 9 years and that location was always either vacant or a business that would close after 8 months. The landlord is just plain greedy.