Community Corner
Carnegie Deli Will Close at the End of the Year
The iconic restaurant will be shuttering on Dec. 31, after opening nearly 80 years ago.
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — One of the most iconic delis in a city covered by them will be closing at the end of the year.
Carnegie Deli, which opened in 1937, will close on Dec. 31. The deli at 854 Seventh Avenue in Midtown has struggled financially in recent years, though owner Marian Harper Levine did not specifically refer to money woes when saying why the restaurant would close. Levine broke the news to her 25 early shift employees at 7 a.m. on Friday.
“As you may know; the restaurant business is one of the hardest jobs in New York City," Levine said in a statement to Patch. "At this stage of my life, the early morning to late night days have taken a toll, along with my sleepless nights and grueling hours that come with operating a restaurant business in Manhattan. I’m very sad to close Carnegie Deli New York at 854 7th Avenue, but I’ve reached a time in my life when I need to take a step back.”
Find out what's happening in Midtown-Hell's Kitchenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The deli has come under a handful of lawsuits in recent years. The company was forced to pay $2.65 million in a settlement with 25 employees who sued in 2014 over being cheated out of legal wages. Levine and her ex-husband, Sanford Levine, went through a contentious divorce in the same year. Marian sued her husband for $10 million alleging he had an affair with a waitress at the restaurant. The two came to a settlement in September 2015, but the amount of money was not released.
The restaurant was also closed for 10 months in 2015 when it was discovered they were using an illegal gas hookup.
Find out what's happening in Midtown-Hell's Kitchenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Known for their pastrami sandwiches, the restaurant named its food after famous patrons, including Woody Allen and even Tim Tebow during his brief tenure with the Jets. A spokesperson told Patch that Levine will "focus her time on licensing the iconic Carnegie Deli brand and sell Carnegie Deli’s world-famous products for wholesale distribution."
Carnegie Deli will still operate locations in Las Vegas and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Photo Credit: Scott Beale/Laughing Squid via Flickr/Creative Commons
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