Neptune Diner (GMaps)
Nov. 28, 2016 Staff Report
The number of diners across New York City is on the decline and it is not just Manhattan establishments that are closing, according to the New York Times.
Health-department records show that there are half as many diners in New York as there were just 20 years ago, reported the Times. In fact, there were 398 diners last year as compared to 1,000 a generation ago.
The article stated that the diners everywhere are coming under pressure.
“Manhattan has certainly seen more diner closings than other boroughs,” according to the Times. “That said, with rising costs in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, classic diners like the Neptune and Bel Aire, both in Astoria, Queens, could soon be under threat.”
The Times article follows a report put out by Crain’s last year that stated that the rising cost of business has played a large factor in the closings. The Evergreen Diner in midtown makes $1.5 million in revenue, wrote Crain’s, but with a $25,000-a-month rent and other expenses, the owners can barely turn a profit.
Grub Street which reported on the declining number of diners Monday listed five diners that are open that people should visit. One was the The Court Square Diner on Jackson Avenue.
It wrote:
Court Square Diner: The Long Island City restaurant is your classic diner in all of its chrome glory, with a by-the-books interior straight out of Back to the Future. The menu is, of course, approximately the length of a textbook, with chicken-salad melts, ultimate omelets, and chocolate custard pie.
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6 Comments
I agree with Waitress. These diners have been doing well for a very long time especially with the low rents. Can’t feel bad for them.
Stupid waitress like you are the type of morons that are making small businesses go under. All you did was f$k yourselves even more. Now have fun reporting all your tips and pay your damn taxes.
Hey maaaaaaan. The diners got good grilled cheese sandwich and apickle with fries but i dont drink anymore so i get oxy
These places got rich for ever maan. No they cry poverty. They dont tell you how they robbed the help for ever. Busboys making $1.25 an hr, runners $2.50 an hr, , waitresses making $350 a week on theyre weekly check but netting $29.00 because they take out for meal money, which 1/2 the time they dont eat because they are too busy. Charge them for uniform when the waitress pays for it. Most people dont have a clue what these owners steal. Ive worked in diners since im 18, im 58 now. The diner industry, which is a greek dominated business, made many of these men veryrich and all they do is cry when its slow, screw you on your pay, and try to get over sexually. Its a horrible business to be in, but what can i say i had kids to feed. Years ago you couldnt do anything about it, but now people can fight back. Diners like the georgia on q.blvd recently lost big lawsuits and had to reimburse workers. 3.2 million in this case ,thats why they sold 1/2 that huge parking lot, to recoup some money. They cry they have no bread, but they have 2 hams under each arm. Ask any waiter what these greedy owners got away with. They know
I love Neptune so many memories!!!
The Neptune, Bel Aire and Mike’s diners has always been the go to places in Astoria. I have many fond memories of all three. Where else can you get a cheeseburger deluxe at 4:30 in the morning or breakfast for that matter. I no longer live in New York. However, I always find my way back and stop in either one of these three great places each time I return home.