Beloved White Castle location in NYC closes after 85 years

The White Castle that’s been serving customers in Queens for nearly nine decades is shutting its doors on Wednesday — marking the end of one of New York City’s longest-running restaurants.The fast-food joint on 57th Avenue in Elmhurst — which opened in 1939 — has been sold and will likely be turned into an apartment building, restaurant manager Elsa Lima told the Queens Chronicle.“This location is closed.It was our pleasure to serve you,” said a banner that draped over the building, advising customers to visit its nearest locations in Brooklyn and Sunnyside.The restaurant’s dining room was nearly empty, with only a large soda machine and various pieces of kitchen equipment occupying the vacant space on Tuesday night.

White Castle, which owns over 25 locations across New York, said the family-owned company decided to sell the beloved Queens spot as the property’s value skyrocketed.“As the value increases, it makes business sense for us to listen closely to a prospective buyer,” Chief Marketing Officer Jamie Richardson told the outlet.Richardson said that the restaurant’s employees will be offered new positions with the company.“When a change like this occurs, White Castle reinvests proceeds from the sale in continuing to grow our business overall and focuses on remaining a great place to work,” Richardson said.However, the move to sell the location has shocked nearby residents who view the fast-food joint as more of a fixture of the community.Elmhurst resident James McMenamin said the closure marks “the end of an era” and reflects the “radically” changing environment along Queens Boulevard.“The iconic location I believe opened about the time of the 39-40 World’s Fair, a familiar recognizable spot on the landscape that evoked nostalgia, in a radically and quickly being altered Queens Blvd.,” he told the outlet.The commiseration extended to users online, who reflected on the decades of satisfied cravings.

“My grandfather u...