The long-standing restaurant and caterer is currently gearing up to develop a brand new, spacious location.
Mangia is an iconic Italian restaurant established by owner Sasha Muniak in 1981. Born in Krakow, Poland, Sasha moved to Italy in 1970 where he embarked on a culinary journey through Lombardy, Tuscany, and Puglia, studying intensely in order to master the techniques of authentic Italian cooking. In 1981, Sasha opened Mangia on 56th street, after graduating from Columbia University.
Almost immediately after opening, Mangia became a hit and New Yorkers couldn’t get enough of Sasha’s signature style. After nearly a decade of ebullient press, including being named one of the hottest sandwiches in the city by the New York Times, Mangia opened its second storefront at 16 East 48th Street in 1989. As the 90’s continued, Mangia cultivated a reputation as one of the must-visit spots for executive meetings and power lunches, becoming a recognizable status symbol among city elites.
Today, Mangia operates three restaurants across the city, and is well-known for its luxurious catering services. Mangia has hosted events for some of the city’s best known companies, including Twitter, Saks Fifth Avenue, LVMH, and JP Morgan. The restaurant also sells a popular cookbook, inviting ambitious fans to try their own hand at producing some of Mangia’s most popular dishes.
Now, according to the New York Post, Mangia has just acquired the lease for a brand new space across the street from its original location at 50 West 57th Street to a new space across the street at the Medical Arts Building at 57 West 57th Street. The beautiful building was designed in 1928 by renowned architects Warren & Wetmore, best known for designing Grand Central Terminal and the Biltmore Hotel, and is owned by Williams Equities. The space offers a total of 9,500 square feet of space, 3,000 of which will be designated for the ground floor restaurant space, while the rest of the space on the lower level will be dedicated to Mangia’s catering facility.
The new Mangia space will be joining Michael and Alan Stillman’s Quality Italian restaurant, which also operates in the Medical Arts Building. Williams Equities principal Michael T. Cohen said of the deal that Mangia will be a “perfect companion to Quality Italian.” At the moment, it remains unclear what will happen to the current location at 50 West 57th Street, which is still in operation. As future details of the new project continue to emerge, you can follow Mangia on Instagram for updates on their progress.
