New York Diner Feud: Restaurateur Takes On 85-Year-Old Owner of Ellen's Stardust

There’s a restaurant rivalry heating up in New York’s Theater District, and it’s not about who has the best fries. Restaurateur Stratis Morfogen is opening Diner 24, a new spot built around the same singing waitstaff concept that turned Ellen’s Stardust Diner into a Broadway institution. When Ellen Hart, the 85-year-old owner of Ellen’s Stardust, had her HR team remind staff about the company’s conflicts of interest policy, Morfogen responded with an Instagram video promising to fight to the end.

Morfogen also took a swipe at the competition, claiming he visited Ellen’s Stardust once, ate half a burger, and left. Hart’s spokesperson, Cristyne Nicholas, fired back, saying it’s a shame he’s choosing to pick a fight with an 85-year-old woman who has supported Broadway and the artist community for decades. The whole exchange played out publicly in Page Six, which turned a local business beef into a full-blown spectacle.

So what do you think? Should a newcomer be allowed to borrow a beloved diner’s signature concept, and does Morfogen’s trash talk help or hurt his chances? Sound off in the comments and let us know whose side you’re on.