The Upper East Side dining landscape is a little less delicious now that 5 Napkin Burger has announced the sudden shut down its Lenox Hill restaurant after seven years of slinging sloppy cheeseburgers and filling bellies in the neighborhood.
“It is with great sadness that we must announce the closure of our Upper East Side location,” the burger chain’s post to social media on Friday began.
While the windows of the Upper East Side 5 Napkin Burger location— located 1325 Second Avenue, at the corner of East 70th Street— were already covered over with paper, the restaurant announced it would be filling delivery and takeout orders through Saturday night.
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“To all of you who supported us, day in and day out, thank you!” the restaurant continued in its goodbye message, which was also posted on the restaurant’s front door.
“Thank you for making us your favorite place to celebrate your daily moments and your special days. Thank you for choosing us to be a part of your life.”
Ironically, a large banner reading ‘WE ARE OPEN!’ was still hanging from the scaffolding erected around the burger shop on Saturday afternoon.
5 Napkin Burger first came to the Upper East Side in 2015, replacing the Cinema Cafe. The company said back then that the burger shop would be ‘filling a need’ in the neighborhood, with the completion of the Second Avenue subway around the corner.
It’s not clear why 5 Napkin Burger is closing the UES location, the company did not reveal the reason for the closure in its post and did not respond to our inquiry.
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“While closing is hard, we are very grateful to be able to offer transfers to the vast majority of our team members,” the company said, adding it “would love to return to the UES at some point in the future.”
This is the second 5 Napkin Burger to close this year— the Union Square outpost closed last January.
The chain still has two restaurants in Manhattan, with locations on the Upper West Side and in Hell’s Kitchen.
For those seeking tasty burgers here on the Upper East Side, try neighborhood newcomer 7th Street Burger on Second Avenue or wait for the new Lexington Avenue Smashburer to open next month.
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Always packed and still couldn’t make it. NYC is dying in front of our eyes.