The Iconic Staten Island Diner That's Closing Its Doors After 70 Years

Jerry's Diner, an iconic restaurant that's been serving guests in the Stapleton neighborhood of Staten Island, New York, for more than 70 years, has closed permanently on Monday, January 13, due to the owner's retirement, according to Staten Island Live. Jerry Kahn and his wife Ida owned the family business since at least the 1980s when they changed the restaurant's name to Jerry's. It has also since been known as Jerry's 637 Diner and Jerry's Pancake House.

Though the announcement was made yesterday, regulars knew the closure was coming. According to a Facebook post, the restaurant's last official day of operation was on December 29, 2024. They recalled eating there "almost every other weekend" as they were growing up. Other commenters mourned the loss of their favorite breakfast spot in the area.

Located at 637 Bay Street in Staten Island, the diner has been serving meals since 1954. The spot offered breakfast and lunch, including a kid's menu. A large T-shaped sign highlighted the location as a coffee shop and restaurant, advertising free delivery on the awning along with the eatery's phone number. The local pancake house served standard diner fare, including waffles, grilled burgers, omelettes with home fries or hash browns, and classic Buffalo chicken wings. One longtime diner reminisced about visiting the diner with his grandmother as a child in the 1970s, and enjoying the best sausage and French toast he ever had in his life (via Staten Island Live). He also emphasized that locals knew they'd be safe and fed well at Jerry's.

In recent years, the Stapleton neighborhood (located on the North Shore of Staten Island opposite Bay Ridge, Brooklyn) has faced some perceived safety challenges which county, borough, and state officials were addressing, according to Staten Island Live. Following a major drug bust and increased surveillance efforts, officials had noted improvements in the area. Bay Street is described as a "restaurant-rich corridor" and officials emphasized it is a safe area to visit and eat, per Staten Island Live. 

The Jerry's 637 website says that "Jerry's Diner is not available at the moment," recommending nearby restaurants. Another website for Jerry's 637 Diner still showcases its menu through an online order form. If you missed out on dining at Jerry's, consider visiting Enoteca Maria, a Staten Island restaurant that relies on real grandmothers in the kitchen.