Old Schrafft's Building Destroyed


A reader wrote in in dismay last week to report that workmen were tearing down a one-story structure at 155 E. 79th Street between Lexington and Third that used to be an outpost of the once prominent New York eatery chain Schrafft's. He sent the above photo, which—sadly—was taken after the structure was on its way out.

"This was a charming one story building, set between two residential buildings, that was a kind of white stone, art-deco castle," he wrote. "It was, I believe, built to be a Schrafft's, but had been an antique shop for many years. You can see it as a Schrafft's in the opening shot of the 1959 Doris Day film 'Please Don't Eat The Daisies.'... This little treasure should have been preserved."

Elliott Galeries, the antique shop of which he spoke, announced on its website that it had moved to Brooklyn. According to the site, Elliott moved into the space in 1979. Here's a picture of the lovely little building when Elliott possessed it:


The sale of the building was handled by real estate monolith Massey Knakel, which is often in the wings when lovely old New York properties get destroyed. "The site will be used for residential development," Massey states in its listing. “This sale, after 30 years of ownership, underscores the current strength of the redevelopment taking place on East 79th Street within the Upper East Side development market."

I can't believe I found this, but here's a picture of the building when it was a Schrafft's:


Isn't that the sweetest little thing you ever saw? Can you imagine any developer in New York, possessed of a piece of real estate on E. 79th Street in Manhattan, who would choose to build a decorative, one-story building on purpose, as Schrafft's did? 

The picture is from 1944. So the Schrafft's was there at least 35 years. Christopher Gray at the New York Times tells us that this particular building was built by Boss & Hesse. The facade was marble. And now it's gone. 

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