The Lexington Candy Shop on Manhattan’s affluent Upper East Side has stood proudly in the same spot for (almost) 100 years.
The traditional lunchette has been owned and operated by three generations of the same family for the past century.
In an exclusive chat with DailyMail.com, current owner John Philis shared his storied history from the roaring twenties, a world war, his emotional bond with 9/11 and all the way to the height of TikTok fame.
Lexington Candy Shop is a beloved institution among its immediate neighbors, with at least one family dining there for four generations, Philis explains.
But it’s also a favorite watering hole for A-list celebrities, with Paul McCartney a regular visitor for the past 55 years.
Owner John Philis now runs the business his Greek immigrant grandfather started in 1925
When the Beatles legend was courting his future wife Linda, who lived down the street on Park Avenue, the two met for discreet dates at the restaurant, Philis recalled.
Other frequent diners include Bruce Springsteen (low-key and generously polite according to Philis) and blonde bombshell actress Sydney Sweeney.
Philis’ grandfather emigrated to New York from Epirus in northwestern Greece in the early 1920s and established a soda and handmade sweets shop on the property in 1925.
When he handed the business over to his son in the 1940s, he turned it into a lunch restaurant and the layout as we know it today has been the same since 1948.
Philis, who now runs the facility with business partner Bob Karcher, has been working there for 44 years.
“There used to be lunchettes everywhere, one on every block,” Philis explained, “but now we’re pretty much last.”
“We are part of New York City history.”
“We saw a lot during the Depression and World War II, all the other wars, different kinds of riots over the years and of course Covid,” he said of the challenges of business.
So what’s the secret to such longevity in a city where restaurants come and go year after year?
“We were able to adapt immediately,” says Philis proudly.
“A good example of this recently is when the government closed us down on that Friday in 2020 during the pandemic.
“We talked to our landlord, we made cuts and greatly expanded our food delivery area,” he explains.
“We started delivering to the doctors at NYU Hospital on 30th Street. There was no traffic, so we could be there and back in twenty minutes.’
“We then set up 14 tables outside during the later restrictions.”
Lexington Candy Shop is located at Lexington Avenue and 83rd Street on the Upper East Side
The restaurant’s historic walls are littered with reminders of the company’s important moments
Customers love the classic diner feel, complete with bar seating and intimate booths
The restaurant is known for its coca-cola floats, which are loved by tourists and loyal customers alike
Other important moments for the company can be found in photos on the historic walls.
Among them is an emotional photo of Paul McCartney with a group of firefighters from the Pawtucket Fire Department after the September 11 memorial concert at Madison Square Gardens in October 2001.
McCartney organized the concert to commemorate the victims and honor the first responders. The Beetles star went to the restaurant when it was ready, as did some of the firefighters who had been to the concert, in memory of their deceased colleagues.
“We thank you all for this opportunity to have our picture taken in your establishment with such a wonderful man,” a message from the department read.
“He made our day in an otherwise sad weekend.”
After it went viral and one video from the establishment was viewed 58 million times in 2022, lines continued to form outside the door throughout the year.
Loyal customers who have been coming for years, if not decades, are happy with the business and will always be called to the front of the crowd when Philis sees them waiting.
New fans and tourists from all over the world, attracted by the mouth-watering experience Instagram photos of the restaurant’s coke carts and Lexington Club Sandwiches usually don’t mind this.
They enjoy the idea of an old-fashioned business, Philis said.
Paul McCartney pictured in the restaurant with firefighters after the September 11 memorial concert
The current interior has been the same since 1948
Recent celebrity guests include blonde bombshell actress Sydney Sweeney
The Coca-Cola is another secret to Lexington Candy Shop’s success.
The dinner takes the separate sugar syrup from Coca-Cola, pumps it into a glass and then adds soda water while mixing it with a large spoon, in the same way as in the 1910s.
Lexington Candy Shop is now the only place in town where Coca-Cola is made this way, a fact that has caught the attention of the company’s headquarters.
Executives come to the restaurant to marvel at the method still used today and have used it as a venue for high-profile press events, such as a collaboration with Puma sneakers.
Philis said he believes his grandfather would be “very proud” to see the company not only still around, but thriving.
So what next for the company when it turns 100?
“We will soon be in existence for a hundred years, we are strong as we are,” Philis said.
“Who knows what the future will be, but we will be there, let’s put it that way.”