You Can Buy An Iconic East Village Diner For $400K On Craigslist

EAST VILLAGE, NY — It is not every day you can buy a historic Lower Manhattan diner. After closing in the summer of 2020, Odessa, the former East Village 40-year-old dining institution, is now for sale on Craigslist.

The 100-seat diner located at 199 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place had served customers in its East Village address for the last 26 years before the coronavirus pandemic forced it to close down in July.

The Ukrainian diner has had a presence in Lower Manhattan for the past 44 years.

Now, it is for sale on Craigslist for $400,000.

The advertisement, which was first reported on by the East Village blog EV Grieve, says the 2,000 square-foot space is in excellent condition, and the seats, counter, and kitchen are all ready to go for the next buyer.

"Most of the business is walk-in with significant possibility for growth by creating a large take-out business. Great causal and quick dining options for a densely populated area. Significant growth & expansion opportunities," reads the Craigslist advertisement. "Alternatively, it can easily be converted to other dining concepts with full bar."

Odessa was a beloved neighborhood restaurant as one of the few 24-hour diners still in business, and one of the few eateries that still offered traditional Eastern European and Ukrainian diner food.

At the time of closure, the restaurant's manager Dennis Vassilatos attributed the reasoning to the "significant loss of business during the COVID-19 crisis," and not about any hike in rent from the landlord, according to EV Grieve.

The Craigslist seller did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

You can check out the full Craigslist advertisement here.