In 2015, Empire Diner, the iconic dining establishment in Chelsea, shut down after its second failed attempt at revival. The windows of the restaurant are now covered in paper, but it’s slated to return under new management in November. On Monday, we saw the doors open briefly with some activity inside, and we attended the liquor license hearing yesterday to get more details on the new iteration.
In 2012, the owners of Coffee Shop in Union Square bought the space and opened The Highliner, which took on ‘pretty much the same form” as the original Empire Diner, except with a ‘Coffee Shop flavor,” said owner Carolyn Benitez in 2009. Despite the tweaked menu and the staff’s dedication to serving food around the clock, the establishment didn’t make it past its first year.
When Chopped star, Amanda Frietag, took over the space in January 2014, she offered her own reinterpretation of traditional comfort food – from the classic reuben sandwich (Empire Reuben) to buttermilk pancakes. Although she stepped away from the kitchen in July 2015, she remained a co-owner of the restaurant prior to its closure in 2015. According to TMZ, Empire Diner had been months behind in rent, and was faced with the threat of eviction.
Aside from new hours (it will now stay open until 2am) and brighter, more “friendly” decor, not much will change when the new Empire Diner returns with John DeLucie as chef. The diner will operate under the company 210 Empire LLC, a New York State limited liability company formed in February of this year. 210 refers to the address of the diner, 210 10th Avenue. Expect the same outdoor seating and another iteration of the classic all-American diner menu. DeLucie also tells us that because the exterior is a landmark, there will be no changes to the outside structure of the Empire Diner.
