Paul's Fifth Avenue in Grandview to close after 58 years

Paul's Fifth Avenue, a Grandview breakfast and lunch diner, is closing after July 7, owner Paul Panzera announced in a Thursday press release.

"We're incredibly proud to have served our customers, seven days a week, for the past 58 years. Now, on to the next adventure — whatever that may be," Panzera said.

Panzera opened Paul's in 1966. The diner and its affiliated "Paul's Pantry" restaurants served homemade Italian fare — Paul immigrated from Italy when he was 7 — in the '80s and '90s before shifting to diner-style breakfast and lunch in recent years.

The Pantry Burger with tots at Paul's Fifth Avenue
The Pantry Burger with tots at Paul's Fifth Avenue

Paul Panzera was an accredited Certified Executive Chef, a member of the American Academy of Chefs and the former president of the Columbus chapter of the American Culinary Federation, according to the press release.

The restaurant almost closed in 2016 when Panzera tried to sell the restaurant.

Paul's Fifth Avenue has been in its current location and in operation since 1979.

“I’m forever thankful and incredibly grateful to all of our staff and crew throughout the decades, all of our customers and to the Grandview community for the support all of these years,” Paul's son, Anthony Panzera said.

“It is impossible to put a hard number on it, but when we estimate, we’ve served something like 7 million meals. As my father would’ve said…. Not too bad!"

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the owner of Paul's Fifth Avenue.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Grandview restaurant closing: Paul's Fifth Avenue to close in July