Beloved NYC Spot, Papaya King, Returns To The Upper East Side

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Papaya King, an iconic city hot dog shop that had been a fixture on the corner of East 86th Street since 1932, has made a comeback in a new location.

To the surprise of the community, Papaya King reopened at a different location over the weekend after its longstanding storefront closed in April 2023.

The iconic hot dog spot resumed operations just across the intersection from its former site, near the popular cupcake stand Baked by Melissa on East 86th Street, as initially reported by Upper East Site.

However, the reopening follows a prolonged period of drama at their previous location.

In 2020, the building’s landlord filed a lawsuit against Papaya King for operating the business after its lease expired due to unpaid rent.

A lawsuit filed last November also revealed that, besides the more than $370,000 owed in unpaid rent, the landlord was also suing Papaya King and its current owner for $4 million in damages for the remaining amount due in the lease.

Papaya King was forced to leave its home of roughly 90 years by "Billionaires Row" mega-developer, Extell, which purchased the site for $21 million.

In April 2023, an attorney representing Cash & Go told Patch that the city's renowned hot dog stand would soon reopen just across the street. However, negotiations with the new landlord collapsed early this year, casting doubt on its future.

At the time, a manager claimed that the landlord of the Third Avenue location refused to allow them to install a kitchen hood, according to a report by Eater.

Last November, Extell sold the original site to ZD Jasper Reality, a Long Island-based developer, for $24.5 million.

Since then, ZD Jasper Reality has unveiled plans to replace the site, which also housed The Children’s Place and Cohen’s Fashion Optical, with a 17-story condo.

Patch has since reached out to ZD Jasper Reality for an updated construction timeline.

After the long hiatus, hot dog fans finally enjoyed the grand reopening on Saturday, sparking citywide excitement as people took to social media to share their delight.

Bit of good news on the NYC food scene," someone wrote on the social media platform X. "Is NYC... back?" another person commented.

Founded by Gus Poulos in 1932, Papaya King was owned and operated by the Poulos family for 68 years.