![]() The figure that we’ve all seen thrown around is 75 percent: Three out of every four independent restaurants won’t make it through this shutdown without some kind of government assistance that, with each passing day, looks less likely to arrive. What does that mean for restaurants that were merely scraping by before the pandemic hit? Will their owners just go back to hoping they can make ends meet? The reality is that, even when we can all go out again, restaurants may be mandated to open at 50 percent capacity, staffers might have to wear masks, and it will be more difficult than ever to turn a profit. The best-case scenario, after all, is that things get back to the way they were. How many New York restaurants operate under similar circumstances - good not great managing but not exactly thriving? How much longer will those restaurants’ backers hold out before they decide to throw in the towel, to say that waiting out the end of this shelter-in-place limbo just doesn’t make sense anymore? At a certain point, the smart business decision is to close lingering nostalgia doesn’t pay the bills. Its closing also feels like the beginning of something more ominous, a first-domino-to-fall sort of situation. This is a bummer, mostly for the people who had hoped to work there again one day, as well as for anyone looking to squeeze out a few more good memories inside its narrow dining room over plates of steak tartare and salade niçoise. McNally, who is himself recovering from the coronavirus, tells the site that the COVID-19 pandemic made the restaurant’s financial situation untenable. Now, as Eater reports, it’s closed for good. Lucky Strike was, of course, one of Keith McNally’s early hits, a reliable beacon for hungry neighbors since it opened in 1989, and proof that Soho really had been cool at some point in its history. But as a part of New York City, and a living monument to the “way the city used to be,” it’s irreplaceable. ![]() So, as an eating and drinking establishment, it was basically fine. The last time I ate at Lucky Strike, the lived-in little bistro on Grand Street, I noticed that the bar’s copper covering had long ago chipped off in a way that seemed unintentional the omelet I ate was probably no better or no worse than what you’d get at the other little bistro on the opposite side of West Broadway and it would be charitable to call the bartender’s mood “indifferent.” Love you longtime, Lucky.Lucky Strike, a tiny bistro that had an outsize influence on downtown dining. The rest have been taken along the way with some of my fav people in the world. The first blurry pic was taken on my first day as a server on a 98 degree summer day in July 2016. As put perfectly: “I fell in love with my best friends here.” So here’s a small tribute of some of my favorite mems. I know this all sounds corny, but it was such a special place that meant so much to so many people, and my heart is broken that it’s closing. The music, the spicy rigatoni, the jalapeño guava margaritas (made perfect every time by the espresso martinis ‘s speciality), the best french fries in the city, and the berry cheesecake. I’ve laughed until I peed, and cried so many tears (good and bad) at those tiny, rickety, wooden tables, and I can’t believe I won’t get the chance to again. Where the staff who began as coworkers became an extended family to me. What started as a job in college, turned into my home away from home after graduating. It’s been my cliché, quintessential neighborhood staple. Ugh where do I even begin□ Lucky Strike has been such a huge part of my life in nyc. If you want to support the longtime staff, donate to their GoFundMe HERE. Needless to say, the news has been devastating for everyone who's ever enjoyed fries and espresso martinis at one of their rickety wooden tables, and tributes have poured in via Instagram. This decision was particularly difficult since many of Lucky Strike’s wonderful staff have worked for me for over 20 years, and some of the customers have been coming since the day we opened: 31 years ago." In a statement to Eater, the restaurateur explained, "Due to the COVID-19 crisis, I was unable to find a way to make Lucky Strike work financially. This week, McNally has confirmed that it's shutting down for good. The chill, French-flavored bistro that's served as a cool kid hang for over 30 years, predating McNally's similar spots, Balthazar and Pastis, halted takeout and delivery service on March 22nd. ![]() The latest restaurant casualty is unfortunately Keith McNally's Soho hot spot Lucky Strike. Now, the coronavirus crisis is keeping eateries closed, so we're bound to have to say goodbye to even more beloved institutions. With increased rent prices already ravaging the restaurant scene, the past few years have seen a slew of shutterings of some of our favorite New York staples.
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