Big Nick's Pizza & Burger Joint to Shutter TONIGHT

The end has finally come for Upper West Side burger-and-pizza joint Big Nick's. Earlier this year, rumors started circulating that the 51-year-old restaurant might be forced to close its doors because of a $20,000 rent hike. And now, West Side Rag reports that the old-timer is closing, and an employee at the restaurant tells Eater that tonight is indeed the last night of service.

Back in January, owner Nick Imirziades said he wasn't interested in a community campaign to save his restaurant, but Big Nick's has been a neighborhood favorite for years. Here's what Doug Quint of Big Gay Ice Cream had to say about the burger during Burger Week: "One of my favorite NYC burgers comes from Big Nick's. I fell in love with that place when I was a student at Juilliard, and my cholesterol hasn't been the same since."

An employee tells Eater that the space at 2175 Broadway will become a bank once Big Nick's vacates the property, but no specific plans have been confirmed at this time.

· RIP Big Nick's Burger & Pizza Joint: 1962-2013 [WSR]
· All Coverage of Big Nick's [~ENY~]
[Photo: Shiri D./Foursquare]