Mannie’s Family Restaurant, a mainstay on Albuquerque’s Central Avenue since 1965, unexpectedly closed.
Albuquerque residents over the weekend began circulating on social media pictures of a note taped to the restaurant’s front door that stated: “Mannie’s is CLOSED. Thank you for 55 great years.”
Mannie’s also posted a brief note Sunday on its Facebook page: “Thank you for 55 great years. We will miss you.”
On Feb. 15, Mannie’s posted it would be closed, but just temporarily: “Mannies will be closed for a couple of days due to a utility issue. Sorry for the inconvenience, hope to see you soon!”
Mannie’s at 2900 Central Ave. (aka Route 66) had earned a loyal following from generations of locals for its chicken fried steak, huevos rancheros and cinnamon rolls in big helpings.
It was proudly no-frills. “Some call us a restaurant. Some call us a diner. Some even call us a greasy spoon. Whatever. It’s all good,” it stated Sunday on its still-operating website.
A New Mexico-based blogger wrote about Mannie’s:
Mannie’s is the quintessential 60s family restaurant, some would say an anachronism. Its menu is a veritable compendium of comfort food favorites, stick-to-your-ribs dishes that will remind you that the genesis of the word “restaurant” is the French word restaurer which means to restore. Mannie’s has been restoring guests to good moods and full bellies from the very beginning. When founder Mannie Gianopoulos launched his eponymous eatery on the western fringes of Nob Hill, mom-and-pop restaurant operations were plenteous along Old Route 66, many of them owned by Greek entrepreneurs.
In 1985, ownership of Mannie’s transferred to Joe Koury whose family has been a peripatetic presence at the restaurant ever since. It’s probably cliche to say Mannie’s is one of those restaurants where everybody knows your name, but it wouldn’t be much of a stretch at Mannie’s. Guests are treated like family and regulars are addressed by name. The wait staff, among the friendliest in the Metropolitan area, has a lot of experience exchanging banter with guests. You get the feeling they’d jump through hoops to make sure you have a great experience every time you dine at Mannie’s.
UPDATE: KRQE-TV got an exclusive interview with Mannie’s owner:
Joseph Koury has owned the restaurant for more than 40 of its 55 years of existence in Nob Hill. But he made the difficult decision to close up shop on February 21. “A couple infrastructure problems that I thought would take quite a while to fix,” said Koury.
He said the construction and implementation of the ART buses also played a role in his decision. But he doesn’t want to dwell on what he can’t control, and wants people to remember Mannie’s was truly a family business.
(Image of Mannie’s Family Restaurant sign via Facebook)