Financial District Gem Pearl Diner May Be Replaced With a High-Rise Hotel

The iconic Pearl Diner has held its ground for decades, even as more and more skyscrapers flooded the Financial District. But a new hotel project threatens to replace the decades-old restaurant known for its big breakfast plates and no-frills burgers.

Developer and architect George Drallios is plotting to build a 21-story hotel at 212 Pearl St., the same corner spot the diner has held since the 1960s, the Real Deal first reported. Building plans for the hotel were filed late last week, and Drallios tells Eater it’s “too soon to say” what will happen to the diner.

Architect Gene Kaufman is designing the new tower, the same architect behind the 50-story Holiday Inn hotel downtown, known as the tallest Holiday Inn in the world. He’s also behind three of the six ongoing hotel projects in this area, according to the Real Deal.

Pearl Diner opened in the early 1960s on a tiny sliver of land at the corner of Pearl and Fletcher Streets, and it managed to keep that land when a high-rise office building rose directly behind it. Inside, the decor dates back to that era, and a big neon sign with the word “DINER” hangs outside. It’s one of the only standalone diners remaining in Manhattan.

It’s open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — until further notice. Eater has reached out to the diner for more information. Stay tuned.

• Pearl Diner in FiDi to be replaced with 21-story hotel [TRD]