You can buy Tony Soprano’s diner booth on eBay — but it will cost you
Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery in Bloomfield, N.J., is selling the booth used in the final scene of "The Sopranos." And it's not without some emotions.
For sale by owner: The diner booth where Tony Soprano and his family sat and were last seen. Onion rings not included.
Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery in Bloomfield, N.J., is selling the booth used in the final scene of The Sopranos. And it’s not without some emotions.
The reluctant sale comes as part of what co-owner Chris Carley describes as long-overdue renovations to the diner. The other booths and tables are also being replaced, though they’re not racking up nearly as much attention — or as many bids on eBay.
The winning bidder will get both red vinyl booth seats, the faded Formica table, its divider wall, and the plaque reserving it “for the Soprano Family.” Notably, the jukebox is not included.
That’s because even though the booths are being replaced, the restaurant is working to keep things looking as original as possible with the same yellow Formica tables, a matched wood paneling, and slightly brighter red booths, Carley told NJ Advance Media. The co-owner says the booths’ condition is too far gone for refurbishing.
The booths were installed in 1973, and the Sopranos booth has taken some extra wear and tear.
Groups have had to wait extra time to eat or take selfies in it. When James Gandolfini, who played Tony, died in 2013, fans went to Holsten’s to pay their respects.
Carley told NJ Advance Media that the table’s been removed and reinstalled so many times that the areas connecting to the wall are weak and porous. They had to add reinforcing wood plates just to keep everything stable.
“That’s the only reason we’re doing it, because it was starting to fall apart,” Carley said. “It’s just time for them to be replaced … We couldn’t just keep piecing them back together anymore.”
Still, he’ll be the first to admit he’s not completely thrilled about it.
“I don’t like change. So it’s hard for me to change this,” he said. “I don’t want to change it, but I’m forced to change it. I’m forced to make things stay modern somewhat.”
Customers’ last chance to sit in the original booth will be Sunday or Monday, depending on when the replacement booths arrive. There’s no immediate plan for the influx of funds coming from Tony’s booth and the bid war — as of Friday, more than 180 bids had been placed, some for tens of thousands of dollars.
Carley told NJ Advance Media that the owners didn’t expect the bids to go this high.
Following the restaurant’s announcement Wednesday that the booth was live on eBay, an opening bid got the price to $3,000. As of Friday, the price sits at $65,000. The auction will end Monday.