70-Year-Old UWS Diner Set To Reopen Under New Leadership

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — In a nice bit of good news for the Upper West Side, the Old John's Luncheonette diner is reopening in the coming months under new ownership.

The popular 70-year-old diner on West 67th Street near Amsterdam Avenue closed in October after its lease ran out.

However, the successful New York City restaurateur Louis Skibar, who has opened 18 restaurants in the past three decades, will reopen the Upper West Side diner in mid-to-late February, according to Eater New York.

The West Side Rag was the first publication to report on the reopening.

Old John's Luncheonette's website also has a message reading, "We're opening soon, so please stay tuned."

Skibar's decision to reopen the diner wasn't bred only out of business.

Old John's Luncheonette was actually the first place in the city that Skibar worked at after emigrating from Bolivia to NYC in 194, according to Eater. He took a job as a delivery person before working his way up to short-order cook.

Now he's the owner.

Eater reports that Skibar has brought on chef Grayson Schmitz, a former Top Chef contestant, to run the kitchen. Additionally, the diner will have a chef completed dedicated to pastries.

"They know your name. They greet you with a warm smile. They don't simply wait on you...they welcome you into the home away from home that is Old John's," reads a note from Kathy Dellinger, a 22-year customer at Old John's, displayed on the diner's website. "They make you feel like family. Old John's is truly a jewel in the crown of the Upper West Side."

You can find out more about the reopening on the Eater NY website.