Angus' Cafe Bistro In Times Square, Popular With Nathan Lane And Kevin Spacey, Closes Over Rent Increase
Angus' Cafe Bistro, on West 44th Street in Manhattan, has closed its doors after 14 years as a popular gathering place for Broadway stars like Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.
Angus'Cafe, which opened in 2001 next to the St. James Theater, where Lane and Broderick were starring in "The Producers," counts the two leading men among its investors, along with producers Mel Brooks, and Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Other customers included legends like Lauren Bacall and Robert De Niro, Kevin Spacey, and the author Kurt Vonnegut.
Despite its iconic status, however, owner Angus McIndoe recently announced that Sunday, January 3, would be his restaurant's last day. McIndoe and his landlord had not been able to come to an agreement about a rent increase, according to the New York Times. McIndoe is remembered by his loyal patrons as a charming and welcoming host, who sat guests personally and hated to turn any guest away. During its tenure, the cafe itself became a piece of Broadway news when, in 2003, "Taboo" director David Leveaux found Michael Riedel, a theater columnist who was critical of the play, at the restaurant. Riedel later "found himself on the floor," according to the Times.
"The idea was to open a restaurant that would be here forever for the theater people," McIndoe told the Times on the cafe's last day. "I think it kind of worked."