Cafe Tallulah, the wine bar coming to 71st and Columbus, has decided to keep a mural that was initially put up by the founders of Victor’s Cafe decades ago.
Owner Greg Hunt had initially wanted to take the mural down because he said its cows-and-half-naked-man motif didn’t fit into his plans for an upscale cafe. Preservationists said it was an iconic part of neighborhood history. But today, Hunt announced that he’s changed his mind. From the Cafe Tallulah facebook page:
‘We’re keeping the mural! Despite getting Community Board 7’s unanimous approval (thank you CB7!) to remove it, we’ve decided to keep it. We feel that it is unique, fun, and a nod to Victor’s Cafe, which was a neighborhood icon for so many years. We go before the Landmarks Preservation Commission tomorrow night and were preparing to ask to remove it – but now we will ask to keep it. We intend to restore it and to subtly illuminate it at night so people can see it. Please let us know what you think – thanks!”
He also said: “It’s unique and quirky. If we keep it we will repair it and put dramatic lighting on it, subject of course to Landmarks approval.”
The cafe is expected to open in September. A rendering of the inside is below:
Kudos to Cafe Tallulah’s owner Greg Hunt. All too often, developers are willing to throw away the past instead of recognizing that today’s businesses are, in one way or another, built upon yesterday’s. I’ll give Cafe Tallulah a try for that reason alone.