GREENWICH VILLAGE — Indian food lovers in Greenwich Village just lost of one their neighborhood joints.
Jackson Diner at 72 University Pl. unexpectedly closed its doors over the weekend — and the own, reached at the eatery's famous flagship location in Jackson Heights, confirmed that the closure is permanent.
Owner Manjit Singh said the restaurant's lease had expired and they opted not to renew it. The landlord was going to raise his rent, which was $25,000, but he did not know what the new rent would have been had he stayed.
"All the rents go up in Manhattan," Singh said with a laugh. "You know how it is in that area."
But the landlord, Isaac Mandalaoui, said he was not going to increase the rent.
"Jackson Diner did not make it and left," Mandalaoui said via text message. "A new restaurant has already signed a lease and will be taking its place."
Mandalaoui declined to provide information on the new restaurant but said it would be moving into the space "in the near future."
On Monday morning, a sign had been taped to the restaurant's menu box, announcing that the nearest Indian restaurant was Curry Kitchen on Eighth Street.
An employee at Curry Kitchen did not know when the sign was posted or by whom, and a manager or owner was not immediately available.
The village location opened in late 2010 — a quarter-century after the successful launch of its Jackson Heights site. Singh told DNAinfo New York at the time that the eatery had a massive Manhattan following that was commuting out to Queens for their authentic Indian cuisine and was ready to venture into Manhattan.
