Lower Manhattan Runs on Pearl Diner — Since 1962!

The delightful clatter of dishes and chatter of customers is all part of the quintessential diner experience. But for Alex Pritsos, owner of Pearl Diner, diners are about people. Since 1962, Pearl Diner (212 Pearl St.) has given the neighborhood a friendly spot to enjoy comfort foods and free coffee refills. He estimates that the restaurant — a popular location for film, TV and editorial shoots — is one of only three stand-alone diners left in all of Manhattan. 

“This is a dinosaur,” Pritsos said.

Since he took over the business in 2009 from the original owners (and extended family members), Pritsos says that “everybody in the family” has helped out, including his adult children and their long-time staff, which he also considers family. He estimates that no more than 10 staff members have changed over in the last 15 years. 

“Our people really care about the place,” he said.

The cozy, pre-fabricated steel diner (which seats 48) is a classic Kullman Dining Car Company structure originally assembled on Maiden Lane and transported in one piece to its current location upon its opening. The neighborhood stalwart has faced many hardships in its 62-year run, including the aftermath of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, September 11, Hurricane Sandy and the Covid-19 pandemic. But, after several months of closures in 2012 and again in 2020, it always reopened its doors. “It was very difficult,” he said of the Covid years. These hardships are, in part, why there is a special sense of camaraderie among neighboring local businesses. 

“There’s no competition,” he said of other nearby restaurants. “You need something, we’ll help you.”

Pritsos, a born and bred New Yorker, worked downtown in government for many years and is no stranger to the neighborhood. He’s seen Lower Manhattan evolve a lot, and he ultimately cites a new elementary school and influx of young families as a positive change. However, “Demographically, the place has changed totally,” he said. He says since the slew of nearby residential conversions, weekends are now the busiest time for the diner – office workers no longer fill the booths on weekdays like they used to, and there are fewer catering orders. 

“The [Gen Z] residents aren’t the type to come in unless it’s a Saturday or Sunday morning and they just went out last night,” he said. “That was a whole new learning experience for me.”

So what should you order on your next visit? “Our breakfast is where it’s at,” Pritsos said. His granddaughter’s go-to order is pancakes and french fries, but he also says waffles, steak and eggs and eight-ounce burgers are customer favorites. He hopes newer menu items, like the French toast with fresh berries, will also be big hits.

For now, Pearl Diner is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends, though Pritsos hopes to extend hours into the evening as business picks up again. 

Pritsos believes the key to any successful diner is the human element.  “When I’m here, I’m usually over at the expediting station making sure the order comes out right and the garnish is on just right — and, at the same time, I can turn around and talk to people,” he said. “The more you talk to people…everything will be fine,” he said.