Scobee Diner to Close

Scobee Diner, a Little Neck landmark for more than 40 years, will close its doors at the end of the month.

According to Armando Morales, manager of Scobee Diner for 22 years, the diner's owners chose not to renew their lease.

"It's a sad thought to drive by here and see the lights off," Morales said.

The owners decided to close after receiving notice that their landlord had doubled their rent, a source with knowledge of the negotiations said.

Though closings of restaurants and small shops have been commonplace in the midst of a prolonged economic downturn, many longtime Little Neck residents were still stunned by news of Scobee's closure.

"It's a sad day for the diner culture in Queens," said Erica Manney on the closing of one of Little Neck's longest-running dining establishments.

Among the notable city figures to haunt this neighborhood fixture was a young George Tenet, who later served as Central Intelligence Agency director under President Bill Clinton. Tenet's parents owned and operated what was then known as Twentieth Century Diner in the 1950s. The eatery was sold and renamed in 1963.

This week, both patrons and staff were bracing for a day when Scobee Diner — an enduring presence in the lives of residents, old, young and in-between — would be a memory.

"It's been here all of my life, it's weird to see it go," said Tara Allegro, a resident of Deepdale Gardens in Little Neck.

Rochelle Walsh, who attended gatherings at Scobee as a girl and later as a grown woman with her own family, mourned the loss of a neighborhood meeting spot.

"Scobee was a great family place, they were there for all of our events. You could go there after your prom. Anyone who says any different never ate there," Walsh said.

The 24-hour diner will turn its lights off and close its doors on Nov. 28, Morales said.

Eric Blattberg contributed reporting to this story.