UWS Italian Restaurant Scaletta To Close After 30 Years: Report

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Upper West Side Italian restaurant Scaletta Ristorante will close this weekend after 30 years in business, according to reports.

The neighborhood staple, located on West 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, will serve its last meal on Sunday, March 25, the West Side Rag first reported. The restaurant was founded in 1988 by Croatian immigrants Omer and Fred Grgurev, according to the report.

Scaletta is closing because the business failed to negotiate a lease extension with its landlords. The owners told the West Side Rag that the landlord wants to replace the restaurant with a newer business.

"Yes, our rent had steadily climbed up, but no, it wasn’t the ultimate reason for our closing. In fact, we were willing to stomach yet another rent increase, and invest in gut renovating our space and committing to another decade or more," Scaletta's owners told the West Side Rag in a statement. "No, the truth is we simply weren’t wanted. Our landlords coveted a shinier, fancier model in our place."

Landlord Equity Residential sent the West Side Rag a statement saying it's excited about the future possibilities for the space.

Read the full West Side Rag article here.

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