Beloved Neptune Diner closes doors forever in Astoria

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

Longtime customers lamented the end of an institution that’s provided shelter and support — and whose staff have been like family.

“We’ve been coming here for three generations,” said roofing business owner Thomas Bimbo, 45, who was at the diner with his brother and co-owner, Peanut Bimbo. “My father’s father brought him here. My father brought me here. And I take my children here. I came here after my graduation. I came here after my prom. It’s a landmark.”

He echoed the feeling of loss expressed by many others at the eatery.

“I feel so sad,” Bimbo told the Daily News. “Their French fries with brown gravy I look forward to. My kids love their pancakes. My father loved their breakfast.”

Birthdays would entail an expedition for cheesecake, a family tradition, he recounted. The brothers were working to make the vibe last as long as possible.

“We’ve been here for four days every day,” Bimbo said. “We’re trying to get everything on the menu. We’re bringing home food. The best diner, the best food, the best service. Safe. You could come here late at night for a snack.”

The distinctive building, with its red-tiled roof topped by the signature blazing neon sign, will be bulldozed, along with a Staples, to make way for one of three apartment buildings. The construction is part of a rezoning the City Council unanimously approved 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 could not work out a deal with new owners beyond a five-year extension.

With 69 housing units out of 278 total residential units classified as affordable, the new construction by MDM Development will include room for retail and  community facilities, the Astoria Post reported.

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

“It’s a heartbreak,” he said. “It’s a staple of the neighborhood. It breaks my heart. Yeah, change happens but when it comes to this place…It’s gonna be hard for us that grew up with this place.”

For Anita S, who did not want to give her last name, the Neptune provided safe haven as well as a home away from home.

“When I was dating, this is the place I would take guys instead of meeting at the house,” the 57-year-old told The News. “It was a safe space. Because I know everybody, I knew they had my back if he got fresh or something.”

Marta-Elene Wisdom was relishing the diner’s last day with her 23-year-old son, having been a loyal customer since her kids were young.

“We heard it was closing, and we were so 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 this last day.

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

“It was one of our connections. We would meet up here,” the inconsolable mom told the Daily News as she flashed a picture on her phone. “It’s so, so sad. I can’t even deal with it.”

Peanut Bimbo remembered taking his wife-to-be there to celebrate.

“When we made it official I said, ‘I wanna take you for a nice dinner. Let’s go to Neptune Diner.’ Memories upon memories,” he said. “I had a cheeseburger deluxe and she had a cheeseburger deluxe 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 collected 250 signatures on a petition in a bid to keep the beloved eatery open. “It’s not just us. It’s generations. It’s immigrant families. It’s almost like, you pass things down. It’s always Neptune. You’re taking away the heart of the neighborhood.”

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