Grimaldi’s move postponed indefinitely

Famed Grimaldi’s Pizzeria’s move to a new space by the Brooklyn Bridge has officially been postponed, the New York Times reported, while the Ciolli family, which owns the eatery chain, deals with a dispute with New York City over its coal oven and the sudden death of the owner’s youngest son after exercising. Grimaldi’s may be out of action for a while; the lease for the Grimaldi’s on Old Fulton expires Wednesday, and the new space, at 1 Front Street, is not yet ready for a move-in.

Meanwhile, Patsy and Carol Grimaldi, the original owners of Grimaldi’s, who sold the pizzeria to the Ciollis in 1998, will reclaim the space on Old Fulton after the Ciollis move out, the Times said.

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“A little competition is healthy,” Patsy said of the Ciollis’ restaurant.

The Ciolli family has been having a host of other problems concerning the restaurant. As previously reported, the city ordered all work at the new site at 1 Front Street stopped after it was discovered that Ciollis had installed a coal oven rather than the gas-coal combination that had been approved. The architect of the new space also quit as a result of the incident. The Ciollis were also in a dispute with landlord Dorothy Waxman over late rent. [NYT]