By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — Foodies who frequent Fairway Market's second-floor café at West 74th Street and Broadway are worried the dining spot could close soon, but a store manager said rumors of its demise are exaggerated.
Fairway devotees worried that the café's closure is imminent started a website to rally support for the restaurant, which they call a "neighborhood gem."
Kim Schmidt, a self-described "foodie" in her early 40s who lives around the corner from the bustling market, said she and her husband are regulars at the second-floor restaurant, which serves reasonably-priced freshly-prepared food.
Schmidt and her husband like to split the cafe's chicken paillard. She's also a fan of the kitchen's pancakes, pizza and fresh juices.
"We were in there for dinner recently and they had changed the wine list, which we thought was curious," Schmidt said.
She said that after pressing the staff on the issue, they "slowly divulged" the news that the café would close.
A store manager who answered the phone Thursday denied the closure rumor.
"There's no truth to that," he said, then referred further comment to Fairway's corporate office.
Calls for comment were not immediately returned.
Schmidt and her husband are having buttons and T-shirts made to express their love for the cafe.
"We're trying to be proactive and stop this horrible thing from happening," Schmidt said.
