Margaret Suran
Famous 2nd Avenue Deli shuts down, possibly for good
January 5, 2006, 4:03 AM EST
NEW YORK (AP) One of the most famous delis in New York City may have served its last corn beef on rye.
The owner of the 2nd Avenue Deli said he closed the restaurant Sunday after a lease dispute with the building's new owners.
"My current rent is $24,000 a month for 2,800 square feet," Jack Lebewohl told The New York Times. "They want $33,000. I can't afford that."
Jonis Realty of Great Neck, N.Y., owns the building. The Times said messages left with representatives of Jonis Realty were not returned.
Helen PeagramHi Wayne; I'm glad you liked it. I don't make it often as I'd eat it all and you know I'm diabetic! LOL I have a double...
The deli has been a landmark in the Lower East Side ever since it opened in 1954, serving much-loved Jewish fare like chopped liver, potato kugel and hefty corn beef sandwiches.
Lebewohl said the restaurant needs to undergo major renovations to pbutt Board of Health regulations. Lebewohl said he couldn't justify the added investment without a more affordable long-term lease.
Lebewohl, 57, said he wants to reopen but can't without a new lease agreement.
His brother, Abe, a Holocaust survivor who founded the restaurant, was shot and killed while attempting to make a bank deposit in 1996.
"My goal is to reopen," he told the paper. "We've become a destination."
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc. ---
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