GREENWICH VILLAGE — The Grey Dog closed its 33 Carmine St. cafe in October 2011 after a bitter dispute with its landlord, but the brothers who own the Manhattan chain are planning a happy return to the block.
The eatery will open later this year in the former home of the Italian restaurant Marinella at 49 Carmine St., just a few doors down from its original location, co-owner Peter Adrian said Thursday.
The design of the 1,200-square-foot restaurant will pay tribute to Greenwich Village history, said Adrian, a 42-year-old New Jersey resident who owns the spot with his brother David Ethan.
"We're trying to make it look as close as possible to how it looked in the 1940s," he said, adding that an architect was researching old photos.
Already, workers have uncovered "beautiful, weathered brick" behind the plaster in the dining room, Adrian said.
With tenants including the restaurants Fatty 'Cue, Ellary's Greens and Market Table, Carmine Street is increasingly becoming a destination for diners, said Massey Knakal Realty Services retail leasing director Brendan Gotch, who exclusively represented the landlord.
"This is really a new restaurant row for the Village," he said, adding that retail rents on the strip are climbing steadily — some to as high as $260 per square foot.
"It seems like every day we're seeing a new record," Gotch said.
The asking rent for the 49 Carmine St. restaurant was $20,000 per month, but both Gotch and Adrian declined to reveal the terms of the rental agreement.
Fans of the Grey Dog — which has locations on University Place, West 16th Street and Mulberry Street — can expect a familiar menu of burgers, sandwiches and beer, said Adrian, who added that he was thrilled to return to the block where he and his brother first went into business in 1996.
"We're so happy to be coming home," Adrian said, echoing comments he made to Grub Street, which first reported the restaurant would open.
The Grey Dog is set to open by Christmas.
