Queens Comfort Closes After 9-Year Run In Astoria

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Devotees lined up outside Queens Comfort as it served its last meals Sunday, ending a nine-year run as one of Astoria's most iconic brunch spots.

Owner Donald D’Alessio announced the restaurant's impending closure in an Instagram post on Oct. 2. From then on, the restaurant was inundated with so many last-minute orders that it had to close multiple times to do more prep work, according to social media posts.

The restaurant, at 36-18 30th Ave., joins a growing list of small businesses closing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Operating during the pandemic is too difficult for a brunch spot with 14 seats on the sidewalk heading into the slowest season of the year, winter," D'Alessio wrote in a GoFundMe for the restaurant. "Our rent is too high, the overall overhead of running a restaurant is too costly, and the uncertainty of when business will resume back to normal leads us with no choice but to close our doors, for now..."

D'Alessio started the fundraiser, which had raised more than $10,000 as of Monday, to help the restaurant's employees, settle small debts with local vendors and pay expenses related to closing the restaurant, he wrote on GoFundMe.

"We plan to reopen somewhere in Astoria as soon as shoulder to shoulder brunch can take place again, we can only take things day by day right now," D'Alessio wrote.

View this post on Instagram

We are truly heartbroken to announce that Queens Comfort will be closing— October 11th will be our last day. Thank you for so many incredible memories, you filled our dining room with love everyday. You showed us the meaning of community. Love you Astoria.
A post shared by 36-18 30th Ave Astoria Queens (@queenscomfort) on Oct 2, 2020 at 7:23pm PDT