Rumors of The Smith as Longtime UWS Spot Josephina Closes

Josephina, a standby in the Lincoln Center area for pre-theater eats for over two decades, closed this Sunday night without much of a warning to customers or to staff after they reportedly lost their lease. Folks at sister restaurant Josie's West say they aren't sure who will open in Josephina's place, but an Upper West Side resident hears it could be The Smith, the boisterous East Village American spot that is expanding to Midtown this fall.

The operators have always said the concept is ripe for expansion, but owner Jeff Lefcourt (who also runs brunch favorite Jane downtown) isn't ready to confirm at this time, saying, "...the Smith is excited to grow, but we have nothing new to announce at this time. We are very focused on opening our midtown location..." Perhaps they'll want to see how number two goes before branching out to number three.

In other shutter news, Double Crown has, as expected, closed its doors for good, and Masala Twist is also down for the count.
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