The Pink Tea Cup, a West Village institution beloved for its greasy ribs, pork chops, sweet potatoes and biscuits, will close January 3rd! The soul-food restaurant opened in 1957 and relocated to its current Grove Street home in 1982. An employee tells Grub Street that a rent increase is pushing it out of the neighborhood, and they're trying to find another location. Though the soul's still warm, Eater notices that a new entity is already applying for a liquor license at a Community Board 2 meeting tonight. Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and the Post's Liz Smith have patronized the place, started by Florida native Mary Raye to serve soul food "made from the heart with sprinkles of love all over."