La Goulue Gets a Reprieve

“We just heard from the landlord and he told us we could stay until the end of August now,” said La Goulue co-owner Jean Denoyer when the Transom called to ask about the impending close of the Upper East Side institution.

La Goulue had planned a goodbye party for the restaurant’s last supper this Tuesday, after having been told in April that they needed to be out by the end of June. The lease actually ended last June, but the sour economy has slowed the property owner’s plans to add three floors to the building.

“The fact that there’s scaffolding around the restaurant make it a little awkward, but we’re happy to stay there two more months in order to keep our exposure on Madison Avenue and to narrow the gap between when we move somewhere else,” Mr. Denoyer said.

It won’t be the first move for the 36-year old restaurant, which counts Demi Moore, Oscar de la Renta and Bruce Springsteen among its many famous patrons. Sixteen years ago it moved from a location across the street, and Denoyer was optimistic that he will be able to close on a new space soon.

“Negotiations are tough. Landlords think those rents are still up there, and they’re not. So when the real estate dust settles, it will be easier to negotiate a deal,” he said.

Mr. Denoyer said he has two potential spaces in mind, and that the new location will “absolutely” be in the same neighborhood. “I’ll find another space that will be just as attractive,” he said.