On the Upper East Side, Regina's Grocery is now piling Italian sandwiches under disco balls instead of a traditional deli counter, after what the owner describes as an abrupt eviction from its Second Avenue sublease. The popular mini-chain has set up a temporary counter inside Ethyl's, the Studio 54-themed bar on Second Avenue, with owner Roman Grandinetti treating the scramble as a classic New York pivot: keep the grinders coming while the lawyers sort out the paperwork. Regulars who arrived expecting a no-frills deli instead found loud disco, cocktails on tap and a sandwich line threading past the bar.
As reported by the New York Post, an eviction notice was posted at 1698 2nd Avenue ordering Regina's Grocery and neighboring Olde Bagels to clear out after the building's legal tenant allegedly fell far behind on rent. Court papers reviewed by the outlet put the unpaid balance at $329,786.11 and list Olde Bagels owner Tommy Brunton as the tenant on the lease. The landlord says the space was illegally sublet and moved to take back the storefront after months of nonpayment.
Ethyl's, a 1970s Studio 54-inspired bar at 1629 Second Avenue known for disco nights, go-go dancers and a late-night food menu, describes its retro programming and address on its website. Regina's Grocery, which started on the Lower East Side and has since expanded into several neighborhoods, appears in local coverage as a growing small chain with outposts in Nolita and Bed-Stuy. For Upper East Siders, the pop-up mash-up reads like two neighborhood fixtures briefly sharing one stage: vinyl records and Italian sandwiches crammed into the same room.
Legal Questions Over Who Was On The Lease
The fight behind the scenes is a landlord-tenant dispute over who was actually on the hook for rent at the Second Avenue storefront. The building owner argues the legal tenant improperly sublet the space to Regina's and Olde Bagels. The tenant, according to the reporting, counters that the lease language excused rent during periods of inactivity and points to unresolved code complaints. Until a judge or a negotiated deal settles those competing claims, Regina's long-term prospects at that specific address remain in limbo.
Grandinetti told the New York Post he had been paying roughly $3,750 a month for a carved-out corner of the commercial space, and shrugged off the chaos with a brisk "s–t happens" as the business scrambled to relocate. He framed the move to Ethyl's as a practical play: protect his staff, keep feeding customers and let attorneys hash out the lease dispute. Staffers have been hauling equipment into the bar and tweaking service hours to sync with Ethyl's late-night crowd.
For now, fans can still track down Regina's staples at the disco bar while the court filings and landlord notices move through the system. The deli's other locations remain open, and both the sandwich shop and Ethyl's say they will post updates on their websites and social channels as the situation unfolds.
