Iconic NYC brunch chain closes two sites amid landlord lawsuit over unpaid rent

Sarabeth’s, a New York brunch institution founded by Sarabeth Levine in 1981, closed its Park Avenue South and Greenwich Village locations after their last brunch service on Sunday, saying the cost structure had become untenable. The company will keep its Central Park South and Upper West Side eateries open. The Upper West Side restaurant at 423 Amsterdam Avenue is under legal pressure after landlord 423 AMCO sued its operator, BSWR Inc., for $43,432.16 in overdue base and percentage rent covering May through July, and for not providing monthly gross-sales reports as required by a 2020 lease amendment.

The landlord issued default notices in June and a lease cancellation notice on July 1, with the lease officially terminated on July 13, though the tenant remains in possession. On August 5, attorney Norman Flitt warned of a motion for a temporary restraining order, and Justice Lyle E. Frank later issued an interim order demanding August occupancy payments of $17,810.72 and the preservation of sales records. The court will hear the landlord’s full request, including recovery of the arrears, on September 8.