PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — A longtime Providence destination for hot wieners and late-night meals is back in business.
The Original New York System on Smith Street reopened Monday under new ownership, nearly a year after closing its doors.
The restaurant is once again serving its signature hot wieners, coffee milk and other diner favorites. New owner Peter Pimentel said preserving that familiar experience was a major reason he bought the business.
“It’s nostalgic, it’s iconic, it’s Americana,” Pimentel said.
Original New York System hot wiener. (WJAR)
Customers returning Monday said they were eager to welcome back the neighborhood staple.
“If you’re from Smith Street, you know the Original New York System,” customer Kenneth Carise said. “It’s been here a long time.”
The restaurant’s history stretches back generations. It is expected to celebrate 100 years of serving hot wieners and diner food in Providence next year.
“We will be alive and open today and for the 100th anniversary,” Pimentel said.
The Original New York System traces its roots to a Greek immigrant who came through Ellis Island and created an affordable meal for hungry workers: a wiener topped with meat sauce, diced onions and mustard, served in a bun and known as a New York System wiener.
For Pimentel, maintaining that tradition — including the restaurant’s closely guarded meat sauce recipe — is central to its comeback.
“I have a passion for this business,” Pimentel said. “I like seeing people smile. I like seeing people be happy.”
He said his goal is to preserve the landmark and the menu generations of customers have come to expect.
“We came to keep it open and keep iconic Rhode Island the way it should be,” Pimentel said.
Customers enjoying a meal at the reopened Original New York System on Smith Street in Providence. (WJAR)
The restaurant held a soft reopening Monday, with a larger reopening celebration planned for Tuesday. Pimentel said all the longtime favorites remain on the menu.
