Lechuga's Italian Restaurant Changes Hands

The restaurant and the lot have been on the market for over a year and now Lechuga's Italian Restaurant has a brand new owner. The old school red sauce spot was sold by Rachael Vigil and Chuck Lechuga, owners since 1989, who are retiring. The new owners promise to keep the joint as is but one wonders how long it will be until another longstanding Italian institution will turn into something new.

In the last couple of years, Pagliacci's, Longo's Subway Tavern, and Carbone's Italian Sausage Deli closed their doors. The lot that Pagliacci's was on is currently being transformed into Lumina, a 61 residential unit development that will bring in two new restaurants. Longo's is soon to become Sunnyside Burger Bar, while Carbone's remained untouched.

· A Handy Guide to Eating in the Sunnyside Neighborhood [EDen]
· Lechuga's Is For Sale For $3 Million [Cafe Society]