Iconic West Bank Cafe and Laurie Beechman Theatre to Close in August after 46 Years

After 46 years on Theatre Row, the iconic West Bank Cafe and Laurie Beechman Theatre are closing their doors for good in August.

The closure was announced in a post on the restaurant’s Instagram page around lunchtime today. It was stated that the reason for closing is “due to the high cost of conducting business and the continuing fallout from the pandemic.”

“​​My goal my whole life with this was to have an established restaurant and then at a certain point, to be able to hand it off or bring somebody or sell it — or kind of step back and bring in a manager or promote somebody from within. And then COVID came,” owner Steve Olsen told W42ST at the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at lunchtime today.

West Bank Cafe opened in 1978 and is located on W42nd Street on the ground floor of Manhattan Plaza. They were the first restaurant and nightclub to be established on Theatre Row and have hosted countless performers over their 46-year run.

“Already, people are coming up with ideas to save the place. But it’s just not sustainable. I mean, no matter what we did in a year from now, it’s likely going to be the same thing,” said Steve. In December 2020, when he was considering closing shop due to the pandemic lockdown, producers Michael and Tom D’Angora launched a GoFundMe and Christmas Day telethon to save the beloved establishment. A long list of stars were lined up to appear during the 90-minute event which started with a re-creation of the It’s a Wonderful Life movie and an opening number by Joe Iconis. The event raised a total of $345,422 , surpassing their $250,000 goal and helping the business stay afloat.

“We wish we had something profound or poetic to say. But, we’re just heartbroken. We are heartbroken for Steve, Janet, and the whole team. We’re heartbroken for the neighborhood and the theater community. Lots of incredible memories were made, lots of great friendships were born, and lots of great meals were had,” said Michael and Tom today.

As we chatted in a near-empty restaurant this lunchtime, Steve lamented the lack of customers: “This is matinee day. We used to do 80 lunches on a Wednesday matinee. We’re losing thousands of dollars every week. There’s no lunch. Everybody’s in bed at 9:30,” he said. “​​A few weeks ago, I was in here at 8:30 at night, and there were seven Tony Award winners and four Pulitzer Prize winners in the dining room scattered around, people I’ve known since we were in our 20s and 30s. And there was nobody else here.”

The New York Times awarded West Bank Cafe two stars in a 1980 review by Mimi Sheraton which increased its visibility and brought in more diners. Throughout its long tenure, Laurie Beechman Theatre regularly staged the work of emerging writers, actors and singers — many of whom later became stars. Comedian and actor Lewis Black was once employed as “playwright-in-residence”, where he oversaw the development of more than 1,000 plays.

Steve was 23 when he first saw the opportunity for the restaurant, 24 when he opened the restaurant and 25 when he opened the Laurie Beechman. “When I opened the theater downstairs, nothing was over here — nothing. It was Siberia and dangerous for like 20 years,” he recalled.

Now, Steve’s ready for a break. “I’m 70. I can’t work at another restaurant. I can’t do it — this is all I’ve ever done. The first thing I want to do is get out of here, exhale. And then take three months off.”

* Additional reporting and editing by Catie Savage and Sandra Mangan

The post Iconic West Bank Cafe and Laurie Beechman Theatre to Close in August after 46 Years appeared first on W42ST .