While New York may be one of the great food capitals of the world, it is not an easy city to open a restaurant in. Often times, when a restaurant closes its doors they never reopen again, but occasionally the most resilient and ambitious restaurants are able to survive and come back with a vengeance.
Molyvos was an iconic Greek restaurant that operated for nearly 25 years at 871 7th Avenue. One of the signature restaurants of New York’s Livanos family, Molyvos celebrated Greek heritage and its cuisine and became a regular gathering spot for philhellenes across the city. Last December, the restaurant sadly closed its doors in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the neighborhood has been holding its breath ever since. Fans and loyalists were eagerly anticipating news of the restaurant’s future, and that news has finally arrived.
Owners John and Nick Livanos are once again planning to open to up Molyvos, this time at 402 West 43rd Street. As part of the Livanos Restaurant Group, the pair has been working for decades in their family restaurants across the city. The group began in 1957 when John Livanos first immigrated to the US from Greece, and shortly opened his first restaurant in 1960. In was in 1985 though when the family truly began to get noticed when they opened the critically acclaimed Livanos Restaurant in White Plains. Today, the family operates some of the city’s most popular Greek concepts, including Oceana and Hudson West.
Originally founded in 1997, Molyvos was named after the seaside village where the Livanos family roots originate from. Today, the Livanos Group has now struck a deal with Cushman & Wakefield to secure 3,766 square feet at 402 West 43rd street, which previously housed the restaurant Esca. The deal is especially significant to Nick, who often frequented the restaurant himself and is excited to bring the space back to life again.
The location is comparable to the original 7th Ave location and is expected to have enough space to comfortably seat about 100 guests between the interior and exterior. Nick is proposing operating hours of 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM, every day, seven days a week. At the moment, Nick and John are submitting their proposal to the SLA for approval, so these details are subject to change should the board deems it necessary. Regardless of the hours, news of the restaurant’s revival is thrilling nonetheless, and eager fans can follow Molyvos on Instagram for news about when the team is planning their Grand Reopening.
