This one hurts. In the year of its 100th birthday, MacDougal Street stalwart Caffe Dante will close its doors, having been sold by longtime owners the Flotta family. A tipster tells Jeremiah's Vanishing New York that the family has sold the business—and the name—to a group of Australians and that the eatery is "set to close within ten days."
According to reports, the management company that owns the building doubled the cafe's rent in 2013, which prompted the family to close it down and then reopen as more of a sit down restaurant. "They tried to comfort the masses," says the tipster. "They amended the business, and refurbished in the hope that they would be able to earn the difference in rent." Despite the truly delicious food—and continuity of their excellent cappuccinos, gelato and cannoli—employees confirm Caffe Dante will close imminently.
We've reached out to the Flotta family to see if they have any parting words and we'll update when we hear back. Meanwhile, a reader told Jeremiah Moss that "The Aussies reportedly plan to keep the Dante name, 'not out of respect to this great business, but so they can keep the existing licenses.'" Hopefully they'll decide to keep the cannoli, too.
