UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — After creating a sense of home on 64th Street and Lexington Avenue for the past 75 years, Donohue's Steak House will close for good this summer, its owner told Patch.
The closure, expected sometime at the end of June, will mark the end of an era for a neighborhood staple known for its old-New York atmosphere and loyal regulars.
Maureen Donohue-Peters, the third-generation owner of the establishment, told Patch she's closing up shop after more than 47 years behind the bar.
The decision to break her lease six months early and close was deeply personal — and not driven by finances, she said.
"My landlord would have lowered my rent if I wanted, but it's about quality of life. I am not comfortable in the city anymore, with the crime," Donohue-Peters said. "The city has totally changed."
Once Donohue's closes in June, Donohue-Peters plans to relocate full-time to the Hamptons, where she already operates another business. She's also opening a second location out East in the near future, she told Patch.
Still, she said, leaving her Upper East Side institution behind won’t be easy.
"I love the place. It’s been my second family forever," Donohue-Peters said. "My customers are fabulous, my staff. I’m looking forward to a proper goodbye."
The restaurant has long served as an unofficial neighborhood clubhouse where staff and customers know each other by name — something Charles Hale, a longtime patron, said is increasingly rare.
"It’s one of the few institutions in New York City that’s been around effectively unchanged for many decades," Hale said. "There just aren’t many of these places left. I may threaten to chain myself to the awning post and stage a sit-in."
An exact final day has not yet been set and may depend on the new tenant.
"There's been a lot of interest, but that's up to my landlord," Donohue-Peters said.
The closing date will also depend on whether the new tenant is purchasing the interior furnishings, like the black vinyl booths and the patinaed bar.
Though Donohue-Peters would be open to selling the interiors, she's taking the name with her, she told Patch.
"It will be very hard for me to just walk away. I am leaving a legacy," Donohue-Peters said.
Donohue's is located at 845 Lexington Ave.
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Editor's note: Charles Hale is the chairman at Patch.
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