Elizabeth Ladzinski
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
GREENWICH VILLAGE — A beloved Mexican-restaurant chain is being ousted for another — bigger — chain as the final chapter in a downtown burrito war comes to a close.
Gozalez y Gonzalez, at 625 Broadway, will soon be replaced by the McDonald's of Mexican food: Chipotle Mexican Grill.
But even though Gonzalez y Gonzalez is a chain operated by Ark Restaurants — which owns a second Gonzalez y Gonzalez in Las Vegas as well as several other restaurants in New York City and the rest of the U.S. — locals say the eatery always felt like a family-owned, neighborhood joint.
"I think it's terrible, it's adding insult to injury," said Lordes Otero, 27, of the Chipotle take over. Otero started coming to Gonzalez as a teenager, and was later a bartender at the restaurant. She now lives in Miami, but makes monthly trips back to Manhattan and always visits the restaurant.
"I love Chipotle, don't get me wrong...but you can't compare the two. That's fast-food Mexican, this is authentic, family-style dining," Otero said, explaining that at Gonzalez y Gonzalez, customers always got to know their servers and bartenders.
"It's like a Cheers," Lordes added. "I walk in this door and everybody's like 'Hey, how've you been.' You're not gonna get that from a Chipotle."
Gonzalez has been offering its "authentic" sizzling fajitas, empanadas and frozen margaritas since 1989, and even hosts weekly salsa nights with free lessons.
But the building that houses Gonzalez y Gonzalez has been caught up in foreclosure battles for two years, and it's month-to-month lease had ended, the restaurant was asked to submit a lease bid to stay in the spot. Chipotle also submitted a bid, and it won.
The Mexican eatery will continue to serve customers through January 31, but management has no plans to relocate the restaurant at this time, according to Robert Towers, president of Ark Restaurants.
"Our thing now is to try to relocate our employees, or keep them working in some form," Towers added.
Chipotle does not reveal terms of any individual deals, however Towers said that he believed the two bids were not "dissimilar" in their amount.
No opening date for the Chipotle restaurant has been established at this time, according to Chris Arnold, a spokesman for the chain.
"I'm sad we're losing the space after so many years, period," said Sounni de Foutenay, general manager of Gonzalez y Gonzalez. "It hurts a little more that we're being replaced by another Mexican-style establishment. But that is kinda the nature of the business right now, unfortunately," he added.
The restaurant will host special events during its final five days, including a mariachi band, DJs and a salsa "All-Stars" night.
In the meantime though, regular patrons will have to search elsewhere for a place to call their "Cheers."
"I've been coming here steadily for eight or nine years," said Dan McClung, a Lower East Side resident. "I was here last night watching the Jets game, my daughter had her Sweet 16th birthday here...this is sorta my Cheers place."
