Carnegie Deli to Close

By Charles Passy

Carnegie Deli, a Midtown Manhattan fixture since 1937, said on Friday that it would close at the end of the year.

"I've reached a time in my life when I need to take a step back," the restaurant's owner, Marian Harper, said in a statement, adding that the long hours had taken a toll on her.

About 60 Carnegie Deli workers will lose their jobs as a result of the closure.

The deli, known for overstuffed sandwiches such as the "Woody Allen," a combination of "lotsa corned beef plus lotsa pastrami,", was forced to shut down in April 2015 after Consolidated Edison inspectors found it had hooked up a gas line improperly. The matter was eventually resolved, with the restaurant reopening in February after paying $40,050 to Consolidated Edison to resolve the matter.

Fans of the deli soon lined up, and they continued to as recently as last weekend, where there was at least a 15-minute wait for a table.

Cristyne Nicholas, a Carnegie spokeswoman, said that the restaurant's challenges went beyond the demanding workload. She said the economics were difficult, especially since the restaurant was no longer able to afford leasing an adjoining space that increased its capacity to 184 seats.

While the Midtown restaurant is shutting down, Carnegie isn't disappearing completely, Ms. Nicholas added. It will continue to operate restaurants and food-service operations at casinos in Las Vegas and Bethlehem, Pa., as well as at Madison Square Garden.

Write to Charles Passy at cpassy@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 30, 2016 10:44 ET (14:44 GMT)

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