07-07-2025
A 76-Year Old Diner Is Closing in the Meatpacking District
Longtime restaurant, Hector's Cafe and Diner, which had been in the Meatpacking District for 76 years, will shutter on Friday, July 18, at Little West 12th Street. Owner Nick Kapelonis tells Eater that 'the meatpackers decided to leave, and we agreed with them it was time to leave as well,' referring to the hold-out butchers, of which the neighborhood takes its name. In 2024, the New York Post reported that the block would be taken over by the Whitney Museum, as part of a building expansion, as well as the group behind the High Line, the elevated park built above Hector's, and a rental complex.
Despite Hector's lease lasting until 2033, the team has decided to shut down now. 'COVID changed so much of our business,' he says, adding that he and his family, who took over the diner 45 years ago, will take some time to reset — but aren't ruling out opening another restaurant somewhere else.
Kapelonis said the butchers were some of the diner's most reliable, longtime customers, who had become 'like family' over the years. Throughout its life, the diner also appeared in many films and television shows, including Law & Order , and counted crew members as ongoing regulars. Perhaps most notably, Hector's was also featured in Taxi Driver .
The Meatpacking District has changed so much since Hector's first debuted in 1949: A cobblestone neighborhood once filled with industrial businesses and, later, nightclubs, has transformed into a luxury hub for designer shopping and high-end restaurants. All through that, Hector's has remained an affordable constant — until now.
Eater has reached out to the Whitney Museum for comment. See More:
