NEW YORK - A beloved East Village restaurant is closing its doors.
Vegan restaurant "Angelica Kitchen" is serving its final meal Friday.
The restaurant originally opened on St. Marks Place in 1976 and and later moved to its current location on 12th Street near 2nd Avenue.
But rising rents are making it hard for the kitchen to stay open.
"Our rent here is $26,000 and Angelica had a commitment to organic farm-fresh food and in this kind of climate where your rent's sky high and your labor costs are out of control and you're buying organic products it's just not feasible," said Angelica Kitchen General Manager Ali Sheppard.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help pay the restaurant's outstanding debts to farmers and food suppliers.
For more information, go online to gofundme.com/angelicakitchen.