Carnegie Deli is expected to close Dec. 31, the owner of the New York City pastrami landmark Marian Harper Levine revealed to employees Friday morning.
"At this stage of my life, the early mornings to late nights have taken a toll, along with my sleepless nights and grueling hours that come with operating a restaurant business," Levine, 65, told the New York Post. "I'm very sad to close the Carnegie Deli but I've reached the time of my life when I need to take a step back."
A New York institution since 1937, Levine's family has owned the deli shop since 1976. The "Jewish-style sandwiches — like the 4-inch-high, pastrami-and-corned beef 'Woody' on rye" were staples at the restaurant that provided tons of nostalgia for customers, the Post wrote.
The deli, which was featured in the Woody Allen movie "Broadway Danny Rose," was closed for 10 months because of an illegal gas hookup before reopening in February.
The owners had to pay $40,050 back to Con Edison after the setup was discovered, noted the New York Daily News, and the business had to update its gas lines to bring the building up to city code.
Marian Levine was involved in what the Daily News called an "an ugly legal beef" with ex-husband Sonny Levine in their bitter divorce before it was settled last September.
The deli also had to pay $2.6 million in back wages to employees, which Levine blamed on her ex-husband, who had an affair with a former employee, noted the Post.
Fans of the deli shared their grief on social media.
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