Sony Building eatery calls it quits after legal tussle

After a legal conflict with landlords Joseph Chetrit and David Bistricer, Kosher Chinese restaurant Solo is finally going solo and relocating from its space at the Sony Building.

Eviction proceedings began against longtime tenant Joseph Allaham after the Chetrit Group and the Bistricer-led Clipper Equity bought the 37-story property at 550 Madison Avenue, near East 56th Street, in March for $1.1 billion.

Solo, which overhauled its menu of Chinese cuisine two months ago, plans to close its doors Jan. 9 and move to an undisclosed Downtown space in the late spring, Great Kosher Restaurants Magazine reported. Italian restaurant Pizza da Solo, also at the Sony Building, is staying put.

The property’s owners argued that the pizzeria increases the litter in public areas and violates the requirements of its lease. But Allaham told the New York Times that he hadn’t had trouble before the ownership changed. In March, Chetrit and his brother Meyer offered Allaham $500,000 to vacate the space within six months, according to Allaham. The owners want to convert the building into a hotel-condominium tower. — Mark Maurer