Crave Ceviche Will Reopen After a Two-Year Hiatus

It’s relatively rare to find happy endings in the restaurant world, particularly when demolished property and court dates are involved. But despite the odds, Crave Ceviche has managed to write what is both an optimistic epilogue and prologue: two years after a collapsing crane crushed the midtown restaurant, it’s reopening across the street from its original location.

The Real Deal reports that the Second Avenue restaurant, which had earned solid reviews for chef Todd Mitgang’s adventurous interpretations of raw seafood, will reopen in a vacant four-story townhouse right across the street from Crave’s original location.

Following the crane collapse, Crave’s owners had planned to rebuild the restaurant, which they had just renovated. But the landlord had plans to demolish the building and ordered them to vacate, so the two parties went to court. A seven-figure settlement in favor of Crave’s owners helped to give them some flexibility in their search for a new home.

Brian Owens, one of Crave’s co-owners, said he’s hoping to start construction by September and open sometime next spring. The main area of the restaurant will be located on the first floor, and a party room will occupy the second.

Crave’s owners, along with several other neighborhood businesses, are still involved in numerous lawsuits resulting from the crane collapse, but at least this particular bit of unpleasantness has a shiny silver lining.

[Via Eater]