COURIER L 6 IFE, OCT. 9-15, 2020
End of an era
Iconic Dizzy’s Diner says goodbye
to Park Slope after 22 years
The Dizzy’s staff. Courtesy Mattheo Pisciotta
BY BEN VERDE
The iconic Dizzy’s Diner in Park
Slope will permanently shutter amid
coronavirus-related fi nancial troubles,
ending a 22 year run of serving up
mouthwatering meals to their fi ercely
loyal fanbase at the corner of Ninth
Street and Eighth Avenue.
“It’s just been 22 years of a remarkable
community,” said Dizzy’s longtime
owner Matthew Pisciotta. “It was
a place for me to go to work and connect
with my regulars that I see every
day.”
The hash palace had served as an
unoffi cial community center for Park
Slope since the late 90’s, with local
celebrities like U.S. Senator Chuck
Schumer and actor Steve Buscemi frequenting
the laid-back bistro — but
now, the economic strain brought on
by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced
the Bay Ridge resident to close up shop
as say goodbye to the renowned red
awning outside his two-decade eatery.
“I just didn’t see the balance of not
being able to serve people inside,” said
Pisciotta. “I knew what I needed to
make every month to pay my expenses,
and there was no way that was going to
happen.”
On top of serving as a haven for
hungry Park Slopers looking for sizzling
bacon and freshly brewed coffee
each morning, Pisciotta also used the
joint to hire countless neighborhood
youngsters for temporary gigs waiting
or bussing tables — saying they’re
friendliness and outgoing personality
added a touch of charm to the restaurant,
much more than industry experience
ever could.
“I always said I don’t care if you
don’t have experience in the restaurant
business,” he said. “I’m looking
for friendly, personable, young people
that can communicate and give customer
service the way it should be.”
Neighbors and regulars who have
caught wind of the bacon joint’s closure,
which the restaurant announced
with letters outside the shuttered
storefront, have been devastated at the
loss of the Park Slope staple, Pisciotta
said.
“As I was closing Dizzy’s and cleaning
out things, I spent most of my
time on the front sidewalk just being
stopped by so many concerned neighbors
that were so devastated — almost
brought me to tears a few times,” he
said. “I feel so sad for these people that
lost their little place.”
Dizzy’s is far from alone among the
city’s struggling grub hubs, with some
estimates predicting half of the eateries
in the Five Boroughs may shutter
due to government-mandated restrictions
put in place in response to the
pandemic.
Diners can offer take out and delivery,
as well as offer limited seating indoors,
but Pisciotta says the lost ability
for locals to gather as a community
diminished the very characteristics
that made Dizzy’s special for so long.
“Our brunches were shoulder to
shoulder, and that’s what made it hot
and good and fun,” he said. “People
wanted to be there because it was jamming.
I can’t imagine the vibe that
would have been changed with 25 percent
seating.”
While he’s sad to close, Pisciotta expressed
his gratitude to be able to keep
the joint running for as long as he did,
especially in an industry with high
rates of turnover.
“As devastating as it was to close it
I’m very appreciative that I had it,” he
said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better
chapter in my life.”
PH. D.
PA-C
PA-C
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