The Fate of Now-Closed Graffiato Will Be Decided Next Week

The Shutter

Chef Mike Isabella is speaking out to Washingtonian after his first restaurant, Graffiato in Chinatown, went dark this week as rent-related woes surfaced. “We’ve closed down to rethink things,” Isabella told the magazine. “It all hinges on financial decisions.”

Isabella acknowledged that the high-profile sexual harassment lawsuit this spring hurt his restaurants, saying that it hurt ”some less than others.” He explained to Washingtonian that a decision about the fate of Graffiato will happen next week, and the options include closing permanently, reopening with its current Italian-American menu, or reopening as something else entirely (perhaps as a pop-up with a different chef at the helm).

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