A celebrated London Jewish deli which has served up its famous corned beef sandwiches and chicken soup for 73 years is permanently closing its doors. Harry Morgan restaurant, located in St John’s Wood, has long been popular with locals, celebrities and tourists to the UK. The eatery served its final all day breakfasts, latkes and homemade soups on April 27 due to pandemic-related financial pressures, according to the Jewish Chronicle. Manager Antonio Franco, who has worked at the New York-style deli for a decade, said that the restaurant's landlord has refused any compromise on their rent, despite a meeting taking place where only a rent freeze was offered. While they have been offering take out food, their revenue is still only 40 percent of what it was pre-pandemic, and they have been unable to pay their rent. A negotiation for a rent reduction, or offering to pay the rent in stages, did not work. Franco, in an interview with Eater London, said that Harry Morgan owner Alex Chesterman will retain ownership of the Harry Morgan name and may seek to reopen in a new London location in the future. He told Eater London that in the end, the storied deli had no choice but to close. “The landlord didn’t want to reduce or negotiate a reduction (in rent),” he said.
