He’s not Mr. Ciao after all! Recent reports announced the sad news that Mr. Chow was leaving his beloved Tribeca location after 20 years.
But Page Six has learned that the legendary restaurateur has cut a deal, and he’ll be staying at the spot after all. Reports surfaced in April that the lease on 121 Hudson St., with its distinctive steel wrap-around terrace, was to be taken over by Olio e Più, an Italian restaurant with three locations in the city.
But now Mr. Chow himself tells Page Six that he’s made a deal to extend the lease, and will — much to the relief of downtown regulars — be staying put.
He opened his first New York eatery — after founding hot spots in London and Beverly Hills — on 57th Street in 1979.
The restaurant became a huge hit with Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Madonna, John Lennon, David Bowie and more.
But when the downtown dining scene exploded after Odeon and Nobu became runaway hits, Mr. Chow opened his place just below Canal in 2006, in addition to the famous Midtown location.
And Mr. Chow, 87, told Page Six that he’s got big plans. He said that he wants to help revolutionize the food business by reversing the process the same way that Amazon has with other goods.
“It’s always been man-to-goods, and Amazon has made it goods-to-man,” he told us. “We’re going to do the same with food.”
He said that in the same way he worked alongside Nobu to usher in a downtown dining scene with a strong Asian component, he hopes to work alongside Goop Kitchen to give upscale dining the Jeff Bezos treatment.
Goop Kitchen opened a Midtown kitchen in April and is expected to open an Upper West Side location in the fall. Olio e Più did not respond to our request for comment.
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