Pastrami Purveyor Harry & Ida’s Shuts Down FiDi Location After 10 Months

Ten months after bringing its gonzo pastrami sandwich to the Financial District, Harry & Ida’s has closed its newer, fast-casual luncheonette in the neighborhood.

Opened by siblings Julie and Will Horowitz, who own the original Harry & Ida’s in the East Village as well as Ducks Eatery, Harry & Ida’s Luncheonette was the sign of their growing mini empire in New York City. The idea was to create a fast-casual concept that allowed them to address the growing difficulties of running a restaurant in NYC, namely the rising minimum wage, higher rents, and other increased costs.

The result was this location that had a three-quarters vegan menu with ingredients from Baldor’s SparCs program, a food waste initiative. Will also created a menu that allowed him to do most prep work up front, rather than have to employ a larger staff.

Alas, it did not pan out, which Will attributes to that area of FiDi being “still about a year or two off from ... really being great locations.” He and Julie plan to now focus on the original Harry & Ida’s and Ducks, as well as continuing trying to find sustainable eating alternatives.

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