Jerry, George and Elaine are over by the window. Kramer is behind the counter. What a guy.
Caricatures of the "Seinfeld" cast feature prominently at Tom's Restaurant, the New York diner from the NBC TV comedy that is still in reruns around the world almost a decade after the final episode. Tom's has become a shrine for fans.
"It's amazing the number of fans we get in and the love they have for the show and, by association, for the restaurant," said Mike Zoulis, one of the owners. "Tourists come in and say the only place they want to visit in New York is the restaurant, and I say, 'Why don't you get a life?'"
Tom's was opened in the 1940s by a Greek immigrant, Tom Glikas, on the corner of Broadway and 112th Street, in Morningside Heights. Zoulis' father and his partners came in after Tom sold out, and they retained the name.
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"People tend to think that the restaurant is here thanks to 'Seinfeld,' but it's been a very successful eating establishment for 60 or more years," Zoulis said. The interior for the show was shot in the studio. It's the exterior, with its distinctive "Restaurant" sign, that is regularly featured.
"A location scout came up and saw me and asked if they could use the exterior," Zoulis said. "I even saved the form that I signed. I could dig it out, but it would make me look like a lousy businessman because I didn't ask for any money. But there was no reason for them to stay here. They were looking at one or two other locations.
"I've no regrets. The amount of publicity has been incalculable. To advertise on that show was thousands and thousands of dollars, so I can't complain. It worked out for us. We get people from China, Australia, Africa, Europe, everywhere. They buy mugs, T-shirts, postcards. And it's exciting to see the place on the show."
