“It is with profound sadness to announce that because of circumstances beyond our control The West Bank Cafe & The Laurie Beechman Theatre will be permanently closing sometime in August. (Exact date to follow.) Due to the high cost of conducting business and the continuing fallout from the pandemic, we can no longer afford to remain open. We are forever eternally grateful for the support we have received from our Hell’s Kitchen and theater communities throughout our illustrious 46 year history on Theatre Row, and for the personal relationships and shared history we have forged with our customers and friends.

Established in 1978, The West Bank Cafe became the first restaurant and nightclub on Theatre Row hosting literally thousands of today’s established artists in our Beechman Theatre. Awarded 2 stars in The New York Times in 1980, WBC went on producing/presenting plays, musicals, music, comedy, drag, and a variety of shows from all walks of life throughout our 6 decades run. I have heard throughout the years that doing a play here was the best experience for many artists because it brought with it complete artistic freedom as an actor, writer, or director, and this has brought me a personal sense of gratitude.

Thank you to our entire staff for showing up everyday and making me look good.

We hope to see everybody over the next few weeks to say goodbye.”

With gratitude,

Steve Olsen & our entire staff