The Milling Room, the airy, skylit American restaurant that anchored the Upper West Side for years, quietly went dark in December, leaving an empty dining room at 446 Columbus Avenue and a lot of questions behind. New reporting now links the abrupt shutdown to a life threatening accident suffered by an owner and to unresolved issues over unpaid rent and outstanding vendor bills.
According to the New York Post, owner Luis Gonzalez was badly burned during a temazcal ceremony in Mexico and has undergone multiple surgeries. The Post reports that he sustained burns to roughly 30 percent of his body and has had 14 operations. The same reporting says the business may owe as much as $1 million to $1.2 million in back rent and bills, and that some vendors and PR firms say they were left unpaid after the closure. Several people quoted by the Post told the paper those unpaid obligations are a factor in why the space has not yet reopened under a new concept.
Chef plans and the winter pop-up
Neighborhood reporting first spotted that something was off when the lights stayed off at The Milling Room in December. West Side Rag noted the quiet shutter and a short term pop-up that appeared soon after. Eater reported that a temporary concept called Comete NYC ran in the room and that Jesús Durón, the Mexico City chef behind two Michelin starred Pujol, had been attached to a new project, Ashi, planned for the site.
Space on the market and reported debts
The Post says the sizable dining room, described as roughly 6,500 to 7,000 square feet, has been marketed for about $60,000 a month, and that a broker told the paper there is “a contract out” with a top restaurateur. If those unpaid rent figures are accurate, sources told the Post the tab could top $1.2 million, a sum that would put pressure on the landlord to re-let the space quickly. According to the reporting, neither the owner nor the listing broker immediately returned requests for comment.
What the closing means for the neighborhood
Whatever the final tally, The Milling Room’s closure takes away one of the Upper West Side’s larger dining rooms and a longtime early evening destination, reshaping where locals go for big group meals and holiday dinners. The loss also underscores how costly running large sit down restaurants has become, with operators and community observers pointing to higher ingredient and labor costs in recent years.
For now, the future of 446 Columbus Avenue is uncertain. A celebrated chef’s project is reportedly pending while questions about unpaid bills linger, and neighbors and industry watchers say they will be watching closely to see whether Ashi moves forward or another tenant steps in to fill the skylit room.
