WEST VILLAGE — Longtime restaurant Empire Szechuan Village is closing for good after to a 500 percent rent hike, the restaurant's owner said.
Owner Oscar King confirmed the news Tuesday afternoon, which was first reported by Eater.
The Chinese and Japanese food restaurant at 173 Seventh Avenue South opened in 1985 and he had long been paying a monthly rent of just $5,000, King said. But when his lease came up for renewal, the landlord upped it to $25,000.
Still, King doesn't blame the building owner.
"I understand," he told Eater. "The property values are really high in this area."
King said business has been bad lately anyway, through no fault of his landlord's.
"Over two or three years, we lost a lot of money," King told DNAinfo, blaming nearby construction that he said took away parking spaces and sidewalk seating.
This Saturday, Oct. 31, will mark the restaurant's final day in business, he added.
