After 90 years of serving up savory hot dogs and fresh tropical fruit drinks, the Big Apple’s last Papaya King is now facing a permanent exile.
Developer Extell – which built Central Park Tower in “Billionaire’s Row” and other apartment and office complexes throughout the Big Apple – wants to raze a low-rise Upper East Side building that Papaya King has called its flagship home since opening in 1932.
An Extell subsidiary purchased the property last December for $21 million, records show.
The company’s filed paperwork to demolish Papaya King, and the rest of the building at East 86th St. and 3rd Ave, with the city’s Buildings Department Tuesday.
Extell declined to reveal its plans for the site, but Papaya King customers said they felt sick to their stomachs after learning their beloved fast-food chain’s days might be numbered.
“It’d be sad to see it go,” said Jeannette Salano, 63, of the Bronx, whose been eating at Papaya King since she was child.
“People love this place. It’s better than Nathan’s, and definitely better than a street dog.”
Newlywed couple Arnela and Christoph Ridder of Germany were in town on their honeymoon, when they also stopped by for a bite Friday and were shocked to hear the news.
“We heard about this place on a bunch of different blogs and YouTube videos, and the hotdogs are really good,” Arnela, 28, said. “It’s an interesting combination with the sweet and savory.”
“It shouldn’t be shut down. It’s a real experience,” said Christoph, 32.
Papaya King was founded and operated for many years by the late Greek immigrant Constantine “Gus” Poulus.
It initially served fruit drinks only but soon expanded to hot dogs and other eats. The business prospered despite facing an onslaught of competition from similarly-named companies like Gray’s Papaya or Papaya Kingdom.
Papaya King opened other outposts – including Hollywood, the East Village, Downtown Brooklyn and on Long Island – but all have since closed. The Poulus family sold Papaya King in 1997.
Papaya King’s manager Mohamed Alam said the fast-food chain was hit hard by the pandemic and hopes he won’t have to find a new gig after working for the company 20 years.
“We had other places, but they closed because of the pandemic,” he said. “We have only this one left. If this closes down, I have no choice, and I’m going to have to look for another job. What can I do?”
Papaya King is already in the midst of a nasty legal dispute over the right to stay in their flagship location.
Their previous landlord, Imperial Sterling Ltd., filed a lawsuit in 2020 alleging Papaya King’s lease was terminated and that the chain’s management company Grab & Go broke into the site and continued to operate Papaya King without authorization, records show.
Extell, as new owner of the property, is actively pursuing the case, and wants a judge to shutter Papaya King. The latest twist for the wiener seller was first reported Patch.com.
However, lawyers for Grab & Go allege in court filings that Imperial Sterling never had the power to sell the building because it only had a 50% ownership stake.
