Papaya King, an iconic part of the New York City restaurant scene, known for their hotdogs, will be officially leaving its location in Manhattan due to the construction of a luxury tower.
The Upper East Side spot opened its doors in 1932 at 171 East 86th St., at the corner of Third Avenue, and had a run of nearly 90 years. Founded by Gus Poulos, the restaurant was owned and operated by the Poulos family for 68 years.
The plans for the space were revealed on Friday, and showed that developer ZD Jasper Realty is aiming to build a spacious 17-story tower on the corner site it purchased years back, as cited by the filed permits.
Papaya King was first forced to vacate the location it had occupied for 90 years by “Billionaires Row” mega-developer, Extell, which purchased the site for $21 million in November of 2021, filing demolition permits to knock down the remaining buildings in June 2022.
In November of 2023, Extell sold the site to ZD Jasper Realty for $24.5 million. According to city records, the 2022 demolition permit is still on file, but no updated permit has been filed or processed since.
The full development package includes the entire one-story commercial strip on the northwest corner of Third Avenue and East 86th Street. Besides Papaya King, the corner was also home to a Cohen’s Fashion Optical, The Children’s Place clothing store, and Wrap & Roll Grill.
The current operator of the Papaya King brand, Grab & Go Convenience, announced a move in April to a new location on the corner of East 87th St. and Third Avenue, just 300 feet up the street from the initial location, after a formal eviction notice was filed and a court case with the landlord began to ease.
However, due to moving equipment, signage into the space, and another lawsuit with the landlord over back rent, the doors never opened, and an eviction notice was placed on the doors in October.
It remains unclear if Papaya King will open its doors somewhere else in the city.
