A flyer advertising the Utopia Diner space at 267 Amsterdam Avenue between 72nd and 73rd Streets as being for rent came as a total surprise, said Mike Sabry, the owner of the classic diner. He’s got a lease for eight more years, and has every intention of sticking around, Sabry said.
“There is nothing to lease,” he said, adding that he feels he is being harassed.
But landlord Mike Laub told a different story, and said Sabry has unpaid rent from before the pandemic.
“Am I harassing him?” he asked, astonished. “No. He’s made no attempt to pay me anything and he’s been open the whole time for takeout and delivery, and now for outdoor dining. How about telling the property owner’s side of the story. Everybody is a victim here. I also have to pay my mortgage. I also need help. I need to maintain the building.”
Sabry said he paid his rent up until the pandemic. “I have all the receipts,” Sabry said.
Utopia, which opened in 1983, is a no-frills diner with comfy booths where you’re likely to run into a local like Harry Belafonte or Congressman Jerry Nadler having a casual breakfast. The prices have caught up with local prices, but are still reasonable in a neighborhood where brunch with a couple of friends can set you back $100.
Sabry said he’s been working since the start of the pandemic.
“I never closed one day,” he said. “To be here for the neighborhood from day 1 I put myself and my family in danger.”
Sabry said he has not been able to pay rent during the pandemic — like the majority of restaurants — and has been operating the restaurant without working gas for years, using electric appliances instead.
Laub said Con Ed turned off the gas because of a leak two years ago and Laub upgraded the restaurant’s electric service in the interim. The gas came back on a couple of months ago.
Sabry was confused and upset that the landlord is advertising the space. Restaurants are protected against eviction until October 1.
“If he decided voluntarily to put it up for lease, it’s unbelievable,” he said.
A flyer from broker Rafe Evans of Walker Malloy says the space is for rent for $40,000 per month. Evans confirmed “it’s on the market.”
“I sent him a legal notice,” Laub said. “He hasn’t paid since January. I want him to come to me and make some kind of a deal, make some offer — and for the future, too.”
I stand with Mike. The Utopia is a beloved longtime old school neighborhood institution. Oldersters, Tourists, Concertgoers,Youngsters, Students, Weird People, Yuppies, Artists, Teachers, Scammers,Hipsters, Musicians, Millionaires, Actors, Jerry Nadler and even some Regular Normal People too all agree that this is one of the coolest diners in all of NYC! The food is tasty. The staff is warm and friendly to solo single customers as they go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Not only that, but they make the best homemade potato salad in the whole wide world and all other places and planets! And, they give you a free old fashioned calendar around holiday time. And, they make the best diner burgers! And, they have the best free individually wrapped after dinner mints by the register and they don’t mind if you grab a few. And, they are located right by the bus stop so you can hop off the bus and get some good chow. This landlord is just using this as a form of harrasment.Is this a sleazy move in this crazy/normal time? How low can you go when it comes to this type of harrasment? He’s lucky to have them as a long term tenant. Hang in there, Mike and Company! We love The Utopia!
Shame on Mr. Laub. Have a heart. Give our diner a chance to survive. $40,000 a month is outrageous. It takes time for the government to get money for small businesses. In New York City the Real Estate people have been favored for decades. Time to cut the little people some slack. I heard the rent is $ 45, 000 are you offering this discount to Utopia? In fact, you should cut the rent in half.
Utopia canNOT close; should not close. It is a valuable institution for our neighborhood! Negotiate the financial issues..whatever they are. That’s what business do.
Terrible situation.
That aside, I think it’s the worst diner in the neighborhood, or one of, right after Westside Diner. Pier 72, Old John’s and Viand are all much better.
I hope that Utopia and it’s personnel now use gloves
Before the pandemic they never did Not too much difference from City Diner where the chefs use no gloves and waiters serve with masks dangling from their necks not on their faces! Utopia also needs to improve their waiter staff who are nasty, brusque and gruff
And their prices for the quality of food is quite high
And they charge you for using credit card to pay!
You think the prices are high?
$40,000 a month rent takes my breath away…
that’s like climbing Mt. Everest… every day.
Wow. What a mess. How can we live without those waiters who put their fingers all over the rim of your juice glass when they put it on the table?
I believe Mike.
I think the whole matters terrible. I seriously doubt this or any other restaurant can afford 40k a month during the pandemic. I even doubt they can afford it after the pandemic.
On the other hand, the landlord needs the money for upkeep, taxes, mortgage. Bad situation all around.
Hi! They’re both named Mike!
I believe Mike too. He’s the best. We’ve loved Utopia for all 30 of our years in the neighborhood. It has to stay.
I am a 40 year tenant in Mike Laub’s building. He is a fair and reasonable landlord. He is a businessman to be sure but since when is the term businessman derogatory? When Con Ed shut off the gas he had Utopia set up with electric lines in days. I would hate to see Utopia go but let’s not jump to conclusions here.
Maybe Mike should start paying some back rent and working it out with the landlord who from the article seems amenable to working something out.
NEWS FLASH: Everybody has bills to pay and not all landlords are wealthy people living on yachts
Overpriced lousy greasy spoon diner. Good riddance. Pay your rent you bum.
Utopia has great staff and is part of community.
Landlords need to understand there that a stable tenant (even if currently behind on the rent) is gift.
Evicting a tenant now?? There is no one lining up for commercial space… Try and work something out, everyone will be better in the long run.
Thank you WSR for giving us both sides of the story.
It would be interesting to see if Utopia can produce those receipts.