Elaine’s Closing Down

After months of struggling, it is the final last call of Elaine’s this month.

Diane Becker, Elaine’s long-time manager, said that the restaurant is no longer the same without its illustrious owner. Elaine Kaufman passed away from emphysema last December. Since then, the restaurant has been struggling to remain in operation.

“The truth is, there is no Elaine’s without Elaine,” the manager, Diane Becker, said to the New York Times. She also added, “The business is just not there without Elaine.”

Elaine’s is one of most iconic restaurants in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Established in 1963 by Elaine Kaufman, it became the regular hang-out spot of many celebrities and writers like Woody Allen, Mario Puzo, and Mick Jagger. It is also known for its Oscar Night, where visiting Hollywood celebrities and other personalities flock in the restaurant to watch the Academy Awards.

This is an announcement that many long-time regulars of the place has been afraid of. The on-and-off health condition of its quirky owner has more than fanned discussions of the future of the restaurant. And now, the most feared news has come to fruition.

Given the appearance of the place, almost empty seats even during weekend nights, slow business, dark interiors, and a “morgue-like” ambiance, it has indeed lost its original charm. Time has indeed caught up with this small spot in Manhattan.