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Marathi — Tribeca’s Kitchen — will close on Sunday
Marathi, formerly Tribeca’s Kitchen, the Greek bistro on Church and Duane that was transformed by Andreas Koutsoudakis when his father, Andy, died during the pandemic, will close after dinner service on Sunday. This is terrible news, since it is certainly the end of an era for the neighborhood.
Andy Sr. opened Gee Whiz Diner in 1990 with his business partner, Peter Panayiotou. And then horribly, Peter and Andy died just days apart, very early in the pandemic from covid. I always thought that was indicative of how they ran their restaurants: always present, always greeting their customers in person and often by name, always welcoming.
In 2014, Peter and Andy opened Tribeca’s Kitchen in this location, but then decided to split the businesses and Peter kept Gee Whiz and Andy kept Tribeca’s Kitchen, which had become a hub for City Hall types as well as locals. When Andy died, Andreas, a lawyer, decided to keep the business going despite the fact that he had his own business to run as a lawyer. He was able to get it back open in July 2020, which in itself was a feat. And he kept at it, despite the unpredictable and unforgiving business climate.
“It’s not the way we wanted this to end,” Andreas said. “Thankfully my law firm is doing well – representing business owners is in high demand these days, something I understand all too well.”
This is the letter Andreas wrote to announce the closing.
To our Beloved Tribeca Community:
It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that we write this letter to inform you that after much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close Marathi Greek Bistro (formerly Tribeca’s Kitchen). This decision was not made lightly, but unfortunately, it has become evident that continuing the business is no longer sustainable.
As many of you know, after the passing of my father due to Covid early in the pandemic, we took the reins of Tribeca’s Kitchen and transformed it into Marathi Greek Bistro, a place that holds a special meaning close to our hearts. It has been an incredibly challenging time for all of us, both personally and professionally. My dad – Andy Koutsoudakis – was a special man in the community loved by many. He served this community from when he opened Gee Whiz in March 1990, then Tribeca’s Kitchen in September 2014 – until he passed on March 27, 2020. We hoped to honor his memory by carrying on the legacy he built over the years, but circumstances have proven to be insurmountable.
Despite our best efforts, the toll of the pandemic and its aftermath has left too much damage in its wake. We have struggled to recover, and the road to a successful and thriving business has become increasingly elusive. We want you to know that we fought tirelessly to keep the restaurant open, but it is simply no longer possible.
We are eternally grateful for the unwavering support and loyalty you have shown us throughout the years. Your patronage and friendship have been the lifeblood of this establishment, and we will cherish the memories created within these walls forever. Our wonderful team, who poured their heart and soul into creating memorable dining experiences, has become like family to us.
It pains us to say goodbye to the Tribeca community, a place that has been our home and the center of our lives for so long. We sincerely wish things could have turned out differently, and that we could have continued serving you for many more years to come, just as my father did.
Though this chapter is coming to a close, we will always cherish the memories and relationships forged over 30+ years. To those who have come to know us over the years, we hope you will keep in touch. You can reach us at akoutsoudakis@gmail.com and vannakoutsoudakis@gmail.com. We would love to stay connected with each and every one of you.
As we bid farewell, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the love and support you have shown us during these trying times. Your kindness and understanding have meant the world to us.
We wish each and every one of you happiness and health in your lives. May the future hold brighter days for all of us, and may the memories made in my family’s restaurants live on in our hearts forever.
This Sunday, July 30th, 2023, will be our last Brunch service. We invite you to join us one last time.
With heartfelt thanks,
Andreas Koutsoudakis
On behalf of the Marathi family
10 Comments
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You and your father are magnificent people god bless you always, and hope your future will be brighter. I will never forget Dad he was the nicest most kindest man I’ve ever met. Just like yourself he is very proud of you and he will always watch over your whole family. I miss your dad so much, he was like family to the Police Pension Fund and they will always cherish the great times we had coming to your establishment. Best of Luck in your Future Andrew you are the best and deserve the best. Thank you and your Dad for all great memories.
Love ya,
Pal
We are in mourning at this news. The passing of an era. It was great knowing Andy, wife, Andy Jr., and the long service staff. The legacy will live on.
Your Dad and all the staff used to greet us and shower us with love. He’d hand out those almond cookies with sprinkles to my kids delight.. he would have been very proud of you all for trying to continue his legacy while working in another profession all-together. Thank you for all your family has given our community – it has meant a lot
I was big fan of Tribeca’s Kitchen in particular. Sorry to hear the news but maybe after some time passes you will consider a reboot? A real asset to the community.
Sending love to Andy Jr., and all the staff who have always treated me like family. You will be greatly missed.
Much appreciation to Andy’s legacy and his beautiful family. They made many people happy over the years and their memory will be a blessing for many more years. It’s an unfortunate outcome of the pandemic that so many of our neighborhood places, and especially the diners where one could get a good meal at any time of the day, are closing and leaving a void. New York is just a bit less of New York with this closing. Thank you for being there all these years.
So sorry to hear about the closing of Marathi.
My family and I are longtime residents of Tribeca. We would order in from TriBeCa’s Kitchen a minimum of 3 times a week.The menu and quality of food offered was perfect for this family neighborhood.
Hopefully TK can be resurrected!
Andy’s wife(widow) Vanna made all the pastries with love. All the empty spaces on Chambers too. Where and when will it end.?
I am so sorry to hear that your restaurant is closing! I live out of town in Potomac, Maryland, but my daughter lived in Tribeca
( now she and her family have located to Glyfada, Greece). We had a delicious birthday lunch there in 2021 and at each visit there I commented on how I wanted to go back to your restaurant and relive the delicious meal I had! It was simply pasta and salad as I recall , but it was soooo good and your staff was great! If you ever publish your pasta recipes, I would be first in line and make them in your and dads honor.
Wishing you the best in your ventures forward.
Rosemary McGlynn
I was just in Marathi a few weeks ago and was encouraged booths were filling up and my luncheon guest marvelled at the excellent food and great window views. Andy Jr really did try to honor his amazing and wonderful dad. The space will not be empty as another restaurant has already applied for a liguor license at our July CB 1 meeting for the space. But the heartbreak at Andy’s death was felt throughout the neighborhood. That kind of love and emotional connection will be very hard to replicate. I sent the entire family a long love letter then. Now Andreas has sent one back. SIGH.