Delucie's Crown Goes on (Permanent?) Vacation

Crown, not long ago one of the hottest restaurants on the Upper East Side, closed July 4th, for "renovations'' and reservationists say they will re-open in September, but there appears to be a bit more to the story than spiffing up the upholstery. According to industry insiders, real estate brokers have been trying to sell the whole Crown Group, which also umbrellas chef John Delucie's other restaurants, The Lion and Bill's. "I was surprised they wanted to unload all the restaurants, but the broker told me the partners weren't getting along,'' confides one prospective buyer. Another source says that in addition to the tension between Delucie and his partner Sean Largotta, both Crown and Bill's are underperforming. When called for comment, Delucie said "Everything is always for sale.'' Largotta's rep didn't return calls.
· All Coverage of Crown [~ENY~]