Mike Isabella on His Food Hall: ‘We’re Not Closing, It’s Been a Slow Summer’

Just as chef Mike Isabella shuttered his first restaurant Graffiato and is toying with divesting more of his restaurant empire, the Washingtonian reports that trouble is brewing at his sprawling food hall in Tysons Galleria as well.

Employee checks have reportedly bounced and the menus from the different eateries within the food hall are being streamlined. Isabella, who’s said previously that the high-profile sexual harassment lawsuit against him and other company leaders hurt his businesses, told Washingtonian that: “Everything was great. Until some accusations came out, and sales dropped a lot.”

He noted that customers were confused by the food hall’s organization and that there were too many kitchens. Isabella says that employees whose checks bounced were eventually paid, and that he wasn’t aware that the space in the mall is being shopped around by real estate brokers, which Washingtonian also reported. “We’re not closing, it’s been a slow summer,” he said.

• Gargantuan Isabella Eatery Is Confusing Customers [EDC]
• Initial Phase of Isabella Eatery Is Now Open in Tysons [EDC]
• Mike Isabella In Trouble (Again) for Alleged Unpaid Rent [EDC]
• Mike Isabella Says More Restaurants in His Empire May Close [EDC]