M. Wells Dinette, Popular Eatery at MoMA PS1, to Close -ARTnews

The M. Wells Dinette.

JESSE WINTER

M. Wells Dinette, the beloved restaurant at MoMA PS1 in New York, will close at the end of February, on the same day that marks the end of the Bruce Nauman retrospective there.

“What a festive and adventurous run we’ve had,”  was the sentiment an email announcing the news. “Mike Kelley, Maria Lassnig, Cao Fei, Wael Shawkey, and Mark Leckey are artists we especially adored, and of course Bruce Nauman, our current master of MoMA PS1, for whom it has been a complete pleasure hosting and feeding.”

The Dinette opened in 2012 after the original M. Wells closed down operation in an old diner in Queens and has been a go-to for visitors to the museum. A MoMA PS1 spokesperson told ARTnews that a new restaurant partner will be announced soon, adding, “We are grateful to M. Wells Dinette and its proprietors Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis for serving as MoMA PS1’s cafeteria-in-residence for the past seven years. With the acclaimed M. Wells Steakhouse just a few blocks away, M. Wells continues to be a valued member of our Long Island City community.”

In the email announcing the close, the restaurant teased the prospect of a going-away fete that might be worth following: “Stay tuned for details about a second line parade from M. Wells Dinette to M. Wells Steakhouse.”