After the almost 40 year-old Famous Ray's on 6th Avenue and 11th Street closed last October, rival pizza chain Famous Original Ray's moved in on the lease. But it was not meant to be. The original owner of Famous Ray's from the 1970s—who just so happens to own the building—says the lease fell through and he will return to the ovens. He explains, "I'm coming back. New York needs me." Funnily enough, the move comes around the same time the original owner of Grimaldi's—who sold his famed pizzeria years ago—is reopening a new pizzeria in his original space.
The pizzeria will reopen in March, probably under a new name given the lawsuits surrounding the Famous Ray's trademark, serving free slices on the first day.
· Famous Ray's Pizza to Reopen Under Original Management [DNA Info]
· Old Timers Hinsch's and Famous Ray's Pizza Close [~ENY~]