Beloved Neptune Diner Closes Permanently in Astoria

Patrons bid an emotional farewell Sunday to the Neptune Diner, an Astoria landmark for 40 years, as the 24-hour establishment prepared to close its doors forever.

Longtime clients lamented the end of an institution that offered them shelter and support, and whose staff were like family.

“We’ve been coming here for three generations,” said Thomas Bimbo, 45, a roofing company owner who was at the restaurant with his brother and co-owner, Peanut Bimbo. “My dad’s dad brought him here. My dad brought me here. And I bring my kids here. I came here after I graduated. I came here after my prom. It’s a landmark.”

He echoed the sense of loss expressed by many others at the restaurant.

“I’m so sad,” Bimbo told the Daily News. “I look forward to their fries and brown gravy. My kids love their pancakes. My dad loves their breakfast.”

Birthdays were an opportunity to go on a cheesecake expedition, a family tradition, he says. The brothers tried to keep that atmosphere going as long as possible.

“We’ve been here for four days, every day,” Bimbo said. “We try to offer everything on the menu. We bring food home. The best restaurant, the best food, the best service. Safe. You can come here late at night for a snack.”

The distinctive building, with its red-tiled roof topped with the iconic neon sign, will be razed, along with a Staples, to make way for one of three apartment buildings. The construction is part of a rezoning unanimously approved by the City Council in 2022 for the corridor along 31st Street and Hoyt Avenue.

But the writing on the wall was clear in 2019, when the 35-year lease expired and owner Peter Katsihtis was unable to reach an agreement with new owners beyond a five-year extension.

With 69 of the 278 total residential units classified as affordable, MDM Development’s new construction will include space for retail and community facilities, the Astoria Post reported.

Hugo Salazar remembers coming to Neptune after Little League games, how his parents would host out-of-town friends there and how he would bring his own dates to the restaurant.

“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “It’s a staple of the neighborhood. It breaks my heart. Yes, change is coming, but when it comes to this place … it’s going to be hard for us who grew up in this place.”

For Anita S, who did not want to give her last name, the Neptune offered both a safe haven and a home away from home.

“When I was dating guys, that’s where I would take them instead of my place,” the 57-year-old told The News. “It was a safe place. Because I knew everyone, I knew they would support me if he became a new boyfriend or something.”

Marta-Elene Wisdom was enjoying the restaurant’s last day with her 23-year-old son, having been a loyal customer since her children were small.

“We heard the restaurant was closing and we were very sad,” she said. “It brings back a lot of memories.”

Anita was there, forging a new friendship with Paz—strangers who had both been coming here separately for years—as they reminisced and decided to sit together on that last day.

For Eva Paz, the restaurant’s demise has widened the void left by the death of her 31-year-old daughter, Siana.

“He was one of our contacts. We used to hang out here,” the inconsolable mother told the Daily News, showing a photo on her phone. “It’s so, so sad. I can’t even deal with it.”

Peanut Bimbo remembers taking his future wife there to celebrate.

“When we made it official, I said, ‘I want to take you to dinner at the Neptune Diner.’ Memories, memories,” he said. “I had a deluxe cheeseburger and she had a deluxe cheeseburger and scrambled eggs with disco fries and a milkshake. And of course, we celebrated with a slice of cheesecake.”

“It’s like a death in the family,” said Anita, who has collected 250 signatures on a petition to keep the beloved restaurant open. “It’s not just us. It’s generations. It’s immigrant families. It’s almost like we’re passing things down. It’s still Neptune. We’re taking the heart out of the neighborhood.”

Originally published: July 28, 2024 at 8:18 p.m.