Ownership of the Cozy Soup 'n' Burger on Broadway at Astor Place announced that the 54-year-old diner is closing on June 21.
As we noted in April, things were looking bleak for the diner that opened in 1972, as third-generation owner John Strats launched a GoFundMe campaign amid ongoing financial challenges stemming from the pandemic.
Our recent visits saw a mostly empty dining room during prime breakfast and lunch hours, while passersby on Broadway walked by with bags from various fast-casual bowl spots.
Here's the full message via Instagram:
After 54 unforgettable years, the time has come for us to say goodbye.We will officially be closing our doors on June 21. Rising costs and declining business have made it impossible for us to continue, but we are deeply grateful for the love and support this community has shown us over the years.Cozy Soup 'n' Burger at 739 Broadway has been more than just a diner — it's been a home filled with memories, laughter, and generations of loyal customers who became family.Thank you to everyone who walked through our doors and made this place special for over five decades. Thank you for being part of our story and for loving Cozy Soup n Burger for 54 incredible years. This isn’t just the closing of a diner — it’s the end of an era.With love and gratitude,
The Cozy Soup 'n' Burger Family
The end of an era. So sad.
ReplyDeleteSo very sad!!! We will miss you guys!!! I use to go there regularly when i worked in the area over yhe yesrs and even went on occasion when in need of a real burger!!
ReplyDeleteOh no! End of an era - but I have to say I haven’t been in years, mostly because I am never that far west anymore - cultural the city has shifted to Brooklyn.
ReplyDeleteSorry can't drop $50 on diner food, and they close at like 8pm when I'm just getting back from my commute and crave grease. Bummer but thems the facts.
ReplyDeleteOh no-o-o-o! The best pea soup ever! Donated to the Go Fund Me but I guess not enough. Sad that great diner food can't compete with Poke bowls..
ReplyDeleteMy buddies and I ate our first and best ever Romanian Steak and Eggs there. 30 years later and we still talk about it. Moved away or we'd still be going there today.
ReplyDeleteDevastated to hear! I've been a fan since the 80s when they used to deliver to Brittany dorm, and over the years I've stopped in for lunch whenever I could. Theirs will always be my favorite cheeseburger. Nothing gold can stay :-(
ReplyDeleteSecret was special fresh ground hamburger meat, the best. But didn't deliver to me only 9 blocks away in Gramercy and did not join in on any food delivery services when everyone else did. Missed the boat.
ReplyDeleteA lot of our hangouts are closing. Astor Starbucks... The Bean on 3rd... now Cozy on Broadway. A community needs spaces to meet with itself.
ReplyDeleteAre you actually sad about a Starbucks closing?
DeleteIt was a great hangout... that's before it was renovated and management decided they didn't want their customers to hang around and take up table space. It was fun talking sports & film with Spike Lee, theater with the NYTimes critic Ben Brantley and talking smack with local characters. Ah... Those were the days, my friend... who thought they'd ever end...
DeleteIt was a great loss when Astor Riviera closed.
DeleteFuck inflation. RIP Cozy :(
ReplyDeleteSo sad. Another storied wonderful establishment torched by greedy capitalism. I will be stopping by every chance I get. Thanks for the memories and all the great meals.
ReplyDeleteFirst restaurant I ever ate at in NYC, when I moved here in the 80s. Real comfort food, I'd return often through the decades.
ReplyDeleteI remember the old man at the register, topped with a perennial "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" hat, enclosed in a tiny corral, chain smoking, an ashtray with a mountain of cigarette butts before him. If there was a wait for a table he'd loudly croak, "TABLE PLEASE!" every couple minutes, each iteration more insistent and urgent. Total New York character. He disappeared long ago, but it's been in the family all along, the younger, congenial John taking care of us in recent years. Will be missed.
This sucks. I'm sorry.
ReplyDeleteI've been in the EV for 25 years. I no longer recognise much of it. Places such as this are what make a community thrive and allow others to connect. This is unfortunate news. Yet, 54 years is nothing to balk at. What an accomplishment. They brought a lot of joy and happiness to a loyal customer base for over half a century. My very best to the Cozy Soup n Burger family.
ReplyDeleteSadly you are correct, the EV does not have that old neighborhood feel it used to have. From the iconic Gem Spa corner or the walk from Avenue A and 8th street to 6th avenue. The EV lost its pulse.
DeleteWhen Kenka and Ray go that'll be a wrap for me.
DeleteTotal bummer….cozy has the best pancakes, ever.
ReplyDeleteThat used to be an interesting corridor. "UNIQUE" "Star Magic" all of that. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteThe list of "indispensable" NY institutions dwindles by the year.