Lights are out and a “for rent” sign hangs in the window of 148 West 67th Street’s retail space, which Old John’s Luncheonette has occupied since the 1950s.
While Old John’s is still at the top of a 2019 article we published about the most historic (but still open) UWS restaurants, we will unfortunately need to update it (for two reasons …).
A Yelp reviewer first posted a photo of the “for rent” sign on September 28, commenting that the diner “could not survive [with] the limited number of customers dining here during COVID 19” and further adding that “take out orders were few.”
When the pandemic hit, Old John’s Luncheonette was one of many restaurants to launch a GoFundMe campaign to support its employees. While the campaign did raise $8,710, exceeding its goal of $5,000, it sadly wasn’t enough to keep them running in the long-term.
Other restaurants which launched campaigns but have sadly since closed include 8th Hill, Beacon Bar, Earth Cafe, Radio Amsterdam and Santa Fe.
Such a comfortable, reliable neighborhood diner. It will be missed.