The NYU-adjacent diner is ready to shut on June 21.
Picture: Alamy
No one would name Astor Place the middle of New York Metropolis, however for the individuals who begin their lives right here as college students at NYU, it may really feel like that for not less than a short while. Cozy Soup ’n’ Burger slot in completely, ready for you proper as you hit the Broadway finish of the block. It was precisely what numerous homesick youngsters wanted to see as they adjusted to life in Manhattan. It’s a actual diner — the likes of which hold getting nearer to extinction — however for individuals who lived, labored, and studied inside its neighborhood over the past 54 years, it all the time felt like one thing just a little extra. Like several diner that sticks round for a number of a long time, its greatness might be measured by the neighborhood it fostered and the folks it has fed greater than gross sales numbers or the standard of meals. Sadly, these issues don’t appear to maintain the lights on anymore, and on the finish of June, Cozy will shut for good.
It’s one other loss for town, one other landmark that predates the beginning or arrival of most individuals who stay right here, quickly to be gone without end. It wasn’t a culinary landmark — although you doubtless received’t discover such excellent split-pea soup and thick-cut French fries anyplace else within the surrounding Zip Codes — and it by no means tried to rise above its humble station. The temper on the earth being what it’s, dropping a spot fairly actually known as cozy feels nearly too on the nostril.
Befitting of the instances, folks doubtless first discovered concerning the closing on social media. New York Nico broke the information, which felt applicable provided that he’s typically utilizing his account attain to assist companies like Cozy Soup ’n’ Burger as they attempt to survive the instances. A number of years in the past, I labored with Nico on a e book that was purported to be a information, love letter, and doc of New York Metropolis companies that he cherished, and as we began brainstorming what he needed to incorporate, Cozy Soup ’n’ Burger was one of many first he talked about alongside neighboring subterranean barbershop Astor Place Hairstylists. Out of the hundred-plus locations we jotted down, these two have been of the utmost significance as a result of they have been locations he’d been going since he was a child rising up close by in Union Sq.. After we confirmed up at Cozy to speak with John Strats concerning the diner his father and uncles had initially opened beneath the 59th Road Bridge once they moved to America from Greece, it was apparent the place was in hassle. He didn’t discuss simply his diner having a tough time, however all diners going via it. We talked for a very long time, and as I acquired prepared to depart, a middle-aged man in a Rangers hat who’d been eavesdropping walked over and mentioned, “I’d transfer if this place closed.” He’d been residing within the neighborhood because the early Nineteen Nineties and instructed me there hadn’t been per week that handed that he didn’t cease in for not less than a cup of espresso.
I didn’t catch the man’s identify and didn’t get a contact, so I can’t test in and see if his condominium is now opening up, however the sentiment is similar with all people I discuss to: It wasn’t only a diner. It was a 3rd place earlier than that phrase or idea even existed. In my very own 25 years of going there, I noticed that play out with my very own eyes when a man proposed to his girlfriend, mentioning he was asking her to marry him in the identical place the place they’d first met as college students. Spike Lee was a fan, and Adam Sandler had fond sufficient reminiscences of the Cozy milkshakes and burgers from his days at Tisch that he included it in his 1999 movie, Massive Daddy. Not lengthy earlier than he died, Wu-Tang member Ol’ Soiled Bastard stopped inside whereas I used to be spending the couple of dollars I had in my pocket on a bowl of rooster soup, a movie crew tailing him for some purpose. As he handed by me, he grabbed maintain of the classic observe jacket I had on and mentioned, “I’m taking this.” (He didn’t.) Early on, after I began relationship the girl I’d sometime marry, she and I ordered half our meals from Cozy as a result of she lived close by on tenth Road and already ate there on a regular basis. Possibly the element I favored finest concerning the place was that everytime you known as, any individual would reply, “Whats up! Cozy.”
Towards the tip, it turned type of a bummer; Strats’s bills stored rising, so he needed to reply by making menu gadgets dearer. The enterprise tried elevating $12,000 with GoFundMe this March, however got here up quick, and will solely depart folks questioning how a lot good that type of cash would do in 2026 Manhattan. There had been murmurs for months that quickly the diner would go the best way of close by locations that folks felt actual emotional attachments to — Gem Spa, Astor Riviera, Different Music, the basement of the Kmart. Hell, even New York Evaluation of Structure had me feeling a eager for the elevated Starbucks that when sat wanting throughout from the larger Astor Place Starbucks that lastly closed in 2024. All through, we held hope that perhaps Cozy would have a last-second reprieve like Astor Place Hairstylists had when buyers swooped in to save lots of the place largely as a result of they needed it to proceed working. Possibly any individual would resolve it could be value having a diner there over having nothing in any respect and attempt to retrofit it into a type of neo-diners like Kellogg’s in Williamsburg or Montague Diner in Brooklyn Heights. Certainly, the dad and mom visiting NYC from out of city to take a look at the faculty their youngsters need to attend can be thrilled to have a diner that’s an replace and love letter to the unique place that operated there. S&P is all the time busy, in any case.
It appears like that isn’t within the playing cards, and on June 21, essentially the most dependable place to eat in its neighborhood for the final 5 a long time will shut. It’s a pleasant piece of actual property, so if there’s meals served on the identical handle once more, there’s a fairly good probability it’ll find yourself being some type of company slop bowl. The rust-and-tan-colored cubicles will most likely be ripped out; the counter and the couple of swiveling stools that hosted 10,000 test-cramming classes will nearly actually go as effectively. The neon Fifties-style “It’s Time to Eat” clock will likely be resold for 4 figures by a classic supplier, and also you most likely received’t be capable to discover anyplace else within the neighborhood that has these chalky mints you’ll be able to solely reliably discover by the register at diners anymore. Cozy Soup ’n’ Burger was a diner with unhealthy lighting, so it didn’t make for good Instagram selfies. Tuna melts and burgers aren’t terribly tough to return by, so that you received’t discover many bug-eyed 20-somethings making movies about them. How do you inform the world that this place was necessary precisely as a result of it wasn’t particular? Ultimately, the lease was an excessive amount of, simply as all the pieces is getting dearer. An outdated diner, chaotically embellished with framed Giuliani- and Bloomberg-era ephemera and the static hum of NY 1 turned down practically all the best way on the TV units hanging from the partitions was simply too stunning for these more and more bland instances.