Iconic Theater District restaurant reopens, welcoming Broadway fans again
West Bank Cafe reopens
An iconic restaurant in the Theater District that hosted legends like Joan Rivers and Steven Sondheim is back open for business all thanks to a Broadway power couple. FOX 5 NY's Kendall Green spoke with the new owners of West Bank Cafe about what inspired them to go all in to keep the legendary spot open.
NEW YORK CITY - An iconic restaurant in the Theater District that hosted Broadway legends like Joan Rivers and Steven Sondheim has reopened after temporarily shutting down during the pandemic.
About the West Bank Cafe
The backstory:
The restaurant opened in 1983 as the West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theater Bar.
Playbill said the venue was renamed in 1998 to honor Laurie Beechman, the late Broadway and cabaret legend who passed away at 44.

West Bank Cafe is located at the corner of 42nd Street and 9th Avenue.
The West Bank Cafe temporarily shut down during the pandemic due to financial troubles which almost buried the business.
Who reopened the restaurant?
What they're saying:
Broadway Theater producers Tom and Michael D’Angora have been busy adding the final touches to what's been their second home for decades.
Now they hold the keys to the nearly 50-year-old staple steeped in history.
"It's wild. It's going to hit me in like 2 hours when I'm not drinking at the bar with everybody. That's going to be an adjustment," said the Broadway producer Tom D'Angora, alongside Michael D'Angora, the co-owners of the cafe.

"There were some bumps in the road and everything and we kind of stepped in and helped with Tim Guinee, Joe Iconis putting together some big fundraising efforts and the community came together to show just how important this place was to them," D'Angora said.
"There's so much history here. Tennessee Williams was writing plays in the corner. Joan Rivers told her last joke on the stage downstairs. It was Chita Rivera's favorite restaurant, and we're opening on her birthday. Happy Chita," the duo said.
"It's just so wonderful to be able to step into a place that takes you back to home. Restaurants do that," actress Christine Pedi said.
What's next:
Now, a new chapter of the cafe begins with its original character and menu, with subtle tweaks, still intact.
"We kept the entire staff and management, so they know what they're doing. It's going to be perfect," D'Angora said.
Keeping the cafe’s legacy alive is a great source of pride for its new owners, who couldn’t be more thrilled about this next chapter.
The cafe is now preparing for the big grand opening, which will include the debut of the redesigned Laurie Beechman theater below the restaurant as early as February.
The Source: This article also contains information from Playbill.