Ellen’s Stardust Diner, an icon of Manhattan’s theater district, could be taking its final bow in August.
The restaurant, known for its singing waitstaff, has been unable to pay its rent due to the lack of both tourists and locals who stopped flocking to Manhattan to see Broadway shows during the extended coronavirus lockdown.
The establishment’s debt has reached a total of $618,459.22. If the diner is unable to pay it back by Aug. 7, the landlord will seize the property, according to BroadwayWorld.com.
Ellen’s, which opened in 1987 and is located at the heart of the Theatre district, employs over 200 people, including hostesses, singing servers, bussers, runners, bartenders, dishwashers and chefs. Many of these employees are also artists who one day hope to perform on Broadway themselves.
A GoFundMe was set up to help employees at Ellen’s while the moratorium on live performances continues.
“We don’t want to speculate on what that means. We hope it will come back as soon as possible,” Kevin Ray, a server at the diner, told NBC New York.