Update: Famous 'Sopranos' booth at Holsten's sells for $82,600 in eBay auction
The ice cream parlor booth where Tony Soprano likely bought it was bought on eBay.
UPDATE, MARCH 4: The final bid came in at $82,600, not quite the six figures I thought we’d see, but still an impressive number. The money will go toward funding new booths and floors at Holsten’s, which the owner said would cost about $60,000, reports the New York Times. Now the buyer has to cart the thing out of there, which includes the seats, the table, a plaque and a divider, but not the jukebox seen in the final episode — that was a filming prop. The work is already underway, and the owner insists you and I will hardly notice.
Original story published Feb. 29 below:
Tony Soprano likely bought it here — and now somebody will pay big bucks to buy the booth where the fictional mob boss (probably) bought it.
The cozy red leather restaurant booth made famous in the final episode of “The Sopranos” is up for auction on eBay as the restaurant prepares to renovate.
Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionary has been a cherished ice cream parlor and luncheonette in Bloomfield, New Jersey, since 1939. But it became world famous when it was featured in the last scene of HBO’s “The Sopranos.”
In the June 10, 2007, episode that, in its final second, had riveted viewers unfairly cursing their cable providers or whacking their VCRs, the Soprano clan (sans Meadow, who was parking — and quite badly — outside and rushing in) was seated for dinner in the booth at Holsten’s, onion rings freshly placed on the table, while Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’’ played on the jukebox.
Then, with the camera on Tony, the screen cuts to black and the episode — and series — ends. A debate immediately ensued about Tony’s fate, which show creator David Chase tried to settle in 2021 by more or less revealing that, in his mind, Tony met his maker over those onion rings and in front of his horrified family.
Cutting to black is, well, the absolute finality of death.
Or is it? I’m happy to keep the debate going.
The beloved leather booth, one of New Jersey’s most notable tourist attractions, is about to get the boot as the restaurant renovates, a headline that shocked me when it dropped on Thursday. The owner told ABC7:
The booth has taken a beating along with the rest of the dining room ever since the 'Sopranos' happened. We've been extremely busy, and just the constant wear and tear of people in and out," said Holsten's owner Chris Carley. "Didn't want to do it because it's nostalgia to me too."
Holsten's is so loved as it is, the owners plan to replicate the decor. The restaurant opened back in 1939 as a restaurant called Strubbe's.
The idea of selling the booth and renovating a place whose patina, whose very wear and tear, are part of the charm, has alarmed many Holsten’s and “Sopranos” fans.
Here’s a taste of the Instagram reaction on Holsten’s post, beginning with those opposed to the auction:
Are you guys kidding me? You’re selling a piece of American history. Section off the booth if you think it’s “dangerous” for people to sit in it. Make it into a dedicated shrine to the show. This seems like a pretty dumb business decision, too. How can you expect people to feel compelled to go to Holsten’s after you’ve literally and figuratively ripped its heart out?
Just leave it and block it off. Whatever youre going to make off of it on ebay does not compare to how priceless this booth is.
That is such a bad idea! Keep it as it is. It should be preserved. If that was Europe it would have stayed untouched. It’s history. You can’t just throw a piece of history away. People don’t have to sit in the booth. And… you are going to lose money .
But some folks defended Holsten’s right to do as it pleases:
Anyone saying “this booth was the draw” has clearly never actually been here. Holstens has been around for many years before sopranos and will be around for many more. This booth means nothing to the people that actually go there. Sell it and make that money.
People are so disrespectful, it is a business that has been around for almost 100 years, with a reputation far beyond sopranos. Im a huge fan of the show but acting like this is the only draw is just lame. It’s an NJ institution, I get excited knowing it’s a place my grandparents enjoyed, my parents enjoyed, and I enjoyed. Sure the sopranos is a piece of its history but the sopranos picked them because it’s iconic! Change is horrible and no one likes it But Whaddayagonnado. The least you can do is be respectful.
The backlash was such that the owner added this addendum to their social posts:
Please understand that we don't want to do this. But the integrity of the booths are now compromised. They have been repaired many times and this furniture is over 60 years old. Obviously, we do not want to do this, however it has come to a point where they are structurally not safe anymore as a whole and we need to think about the safety of our patrons first.
Customer safety is a priority for us and should be for our patrons as well. Thank you and we hope you understand!
I’m trying to understand, man, I’m trying. Yet I’m not so arrogant to believe I know what’s best for the business. So many factors go into decisions like this, and not everything is obvious, even to regulars of the place. That said, if I had my druthers, which I don’t, I’d OF COURSE keep the booth (even if you seal it off or make it into a display) and tread carefully with that renovation to ensure that the ambiance and feel one gets at Holsten’s is preserved.
I’ve had some wonderful meals here — and never in the “Sopranos” booth, which I’ve never photographed because there’s always somebody sitting there.
It just won’t be the same when somebody is sitting there in a replica of the booth.
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