In a shocking announcement on social media, Steve Olsen, owner of the West Bank Cafe and Laurie Beechman Theatre, disclosed the resturaunt and venue will close sometime in August. After 46 years in business (opening in 1978), the reason for its shuttering was stated as “the high cost of conducting business and the continuing fallout from the pandemic.”
The West Bank Cafe was one of the first restaurants to open on Theatre Row at a time when the neighborhood was just on the verge of being cleaned up, particularly in aspects of safety. With the redevelopment of Times Square/42nd Street, new businesses and residents came to the area. Soon, The Laurie Beechman Theatre established itself as an important venue that hosted the work of emerging vocalists and actors as well as established acts. The cabaret space was eventually named for Broadway actor-singer and cabaret performer Laurie Beechman after her premature death.
In December 2020, the West Bank Cafe almost shut its doors due to the pandemic, but producers Michael and Tom D’Angora launched a GoFundMe and Christmas Day telethon to save the establishment. The event raised a total of $345,422, surpassing their $250,000 goal and helping the business survive. Even so, with the changing landscape of post-pandemic New York City, and despite an uptick in the City’s recovery, the economics of keeping the West Bank Cafe sustainable couldn’t be achieved.
The exact closure date has yet to be announced.
