By: Andrew Carlson

(JEWISH VOICE NEWS) The pulse of Midtown Manhattan’s dining scene is set to quicken again next spring when Motek, the Miami-born Mediterranean and Middle Eastern café, opens its highly anticipated Manhattan flagship at the legendary southeast corner of Sixth Avenue and West 57th Street, The New York Post reported on Thursday.

The 6,700-square-foot space at 60 West 57th Street — for a quarter-century home to the iconic brasserie Rue 57 — will soon be transformed into a light-filled, modern homage to both Tel Aviv’s café culture and classic New York energy. For Happy Corner Hospitality, Motek’s parent company, and its founder Charlie Levy, the project represents both a symbolic homecoming and a bold culinary statement.

“This opening is deeply personal to me,” Levy told The New York Post. “New York has always represented possibility, energy, and culture — everything Motek stands for. To bring our food and spirit to the former Rue 57 feels like coming full circle.”

With that, one of Manhattan’s most-watched restaurant spaces — dormant since Rue 57’s departure last spring — will soon pulse again with life, aroma, and Levantine flavor.

Motek’s arrival at 60 West 57th marks a milestone moment in the brand’s rapid ascent. Founded in Miami in 2020, Motek quickly became synonymous with elegant, approachable Mediterranean comfort food — from silky hummus and sizzling shawarma to crisp chicken schnitzel and vibrant salads. Its expansion into New York began modestly, but with unmistakable momentum.

After opening a Flatiron District location at 928 Broadway, which became a magnet for both lunch-hour professionals and dinner crowds, Motek expanded into Williamsburg. It will soon add another outpost on the Upper West Side, taking over a former Serafina space, according to The New York Post report.

The 57th Street flagship, however, is the brand’s most ambitious venture yet. Spanning nearly 7,000 square feet and occupying one of Manhattan’s most visible intersections — what the Post aptly calls a “happy corner” — the site’s history and prominence make it a defining step for Happy Corner Hospitality.

When Rue 57 shuttered after more than two decades as a go-to Midtown fixture, the question of who would take over the space became one of the city’s hottest real estate stories. According to the information provided in The New York Post report, Motek beat out several heavyweight restaurant groups in a highly competitive bidding process to secure the lease.

Though terms of the agreement were not disclosed, sources told The Post that multiple major hospitality players — including international chains and celebrity-chef ventures — had their eyes on the coveted corner. In the end, Levy’s concept reportedly stood out for its “visionary blend of global and local sensibilities” and a menu that aligned with the area’s evolving dining demographics.

Indeed, West 57th Street — long associated with power-lunch institutions and upscale dining — has undergone significant change. Over the past several years, much of the block between Fifth and Sixth Avenues has been disrupted by large-scale construction and high-end retail turnover. Motek’s arrival, as The New York Post report observed, “will bring much-needed energy back to a stretch of Midtown that has been hungry — literally — for a comeback.”

While detailed renderings of the interior are still under wraps, a preliminary image obtained by The New York Post shows a bright, sophisticated façade replacing the once-shadowed entrance of Rue 57. The design, Levy said, will merge Mediterranean warmth with New York classicism, creating an atmosphere that honors both Motek’s Israeli roots and Manhattan’s cosmopolitan heritage.

“We want this to feel like the New York of today,” Levy explained, “but also like the Tel Aviv of your dreams.”

Motek’s design team plans to remove the long-standing sidewalk bridge that obscured Rue 57’s frontage, restoring a sense of openness and connection to the street. The corner’s vast glass windows will once again frame the movement of passersby — a signature element of Midtown’s urban theater.

According to the information contained in The Post report, the space will serve as both a café and a full-service restaurant, featuring all-day menus that shift from morning mezze and coffee to evening cocktails and shared platters.

Motek’s culinary philosophy revolves around freshness, accessibility, and authenticity — all delivered through a contemporary lens. The restaurant has built its reputation on what it calls “kosher-style” offerings, carefully crafted to be 100% seed oil-free, a commitment the brand takes seriously.

“These industrial oils don’t align with the fresh, wholesome cooking that defines who we are,” reads a statement on Motek’s website, cited in The New York Post report.

At its bustling Flatiron location, the menu reads like a Mediterranean atlas: creamy hummus drizzled with olive oil, mezze platters, shawarma plates, and a standout crispy chicken schnitzel sandwich that has achieved cult-like popularity. Other crowd-pleasers include kebabs, steakhouse cuts, falafel, labneh, and roasted cauliflower — dishes that balance comfort with sophistication.

While the full 57th Street menu has yet to be announced, insiders told The New York Post to expect a few elevated additions designed specifically for the flagship location, reflecting both the Midtown clientele and Motek’s growing ambitions.

For nearly 25 years, Rue 57 defined Midtown dining at the corner of Sixth Avenue and 57th Street — an era of French brasserie glamour that drew everyone from tourists to television executives. When it closed its doors last year, the city lost not just a restaurant but a landmark of its culinary geography.

Now, with Motek stepping in, that corner — “the happiest corner yet,” as The New York Post report described it — is poised for a rebirth that blends continuity and innovation.

“Rue 57 was a quintessential New York experience,” said one longtime Midtown resident interviewed by The Post. “Motek seems ready to carry that spirit forward, but with a new energy that fits today’s city.”

For Happy Corner Hospitality, the symbolism is clear: a brand born in the sun-soaked streets of Miami now takes root in the global capital of dining — where expectations are high, competition fierce, and success measured in longevity.

Beyond its culinary ambitions, Motek’s arrival has broader implications for Midtown’s economic and cultural revival. As The New York Post reported, the area around West 57th Street, stretching from Carnegie Hall to Billionaires’ Row, has struggled with retail vacancies and the lingering aftershocks of the pandemic.

With major developments underway, including luxury residences and high-end office towers, city planners and business leaders have emphasized the need for restaurants that attract both locals and visitors — not merely serve them. Motek, with its vibrant aesthetic and cross-cultural appeal, fits that blueprint.

“It’s exactly the kind of restaurant this corridor needs right now,” a commercial leasing source told The New York Post. “It’s young but sophisticated, accessible but aspirational — and most importantly, it brings people back to Midtown for pleasure, not just work.”

For founder Charlie Levy, returning to New York is not just a business expansion — it’s a personal milestone. Born and raised in the city before relocating to Florida, Levy built Happy Corner Hospitality around a philosophy that emphasizes “joyful spaces, honest ingredients, and cultural storytelling through food.”

That ethos, which powered Motek’s success in Miami’s competitive culinary scene, will now anchor the brand in the city that inspired it.

“This city taught me everything about hospitality,” Levy told The New York Post. “The diversity, the energy, the constant motion — all of that shaped who I am. To open on 57th Street, in the heart of it all, is something I’ve dreamed about for years.”

Motek’s upcoming flagship is more than just another restaurant opening — it’s a narrative of renewal. It represents the restoration of a once-iconic corner, the return of a beloved restaurateur to his roots, and the rise of a Mediterranean brand ready to redefine New York’s dining landscape.

As The New York Post report noted, “Motek’s debut at 60 West 57th is not just about reclaiming a prime corner — it’s about reigniting a stretch of Midtown that had gone quiet.”

In the ever-changing theater of Manhattan’s restaurant world, few addresses carry the resonance of Sixth Avenue and 57th Street. With its commitment to flavor, health, and hospitality, Motek appears poised to make that corner shine once again — with the unmistakable glow of Mediterranean sunshine meeting the electric light of New York City.