By Matthew Monks
Mariah Hochhause, the former manager at the beloved Ridgewood landmark, has a hunch that will make local preservationists cringe.”They probably are going to tear it down,” Hochhause said, noting that the new owners – yet to be identified – have performed surveys and soil tests on the property at 69-16 Metropolitan Ave. “That's what I think.”Rainer Herrink, who purchased the traditional German eatery with his brother, Horst, in the late 60s, was unavailable for comment. Hochhause said the business went into an estate controlled by lawyers after Horst died 11 years ago. Rumors of a pending closure have swamped the restaurant for a decade, Hochhauser said, and they gained heat about two years ago when the estate put the business up for sale.Herrink broke the news to the staff on New Year's Eve that they had finally found a buyer, whose name has not been publicly disclosed, Hauchhause said. The latest rumor has the fast food chain Arby's eyeing the site. But company officials would only say they are interested in opening another branch somewhere in Queens.Since the restaurant opened across from the Lutheran Cemetery in 1854, it has been a community gathering spot, hosting countless wedding receptions, political functions and birthdays.Lorraine D'Agostino, of Queens Village, said her grandmother celebrated every birthday there over a dish of sauerbraten until she died at age 95 a few years ago. “My grandmother, she's probably rolling over in her grave to be honest with you,” D'Agostino said. “Well, because it's closing.””It's the end of an era honestly,” said Bob Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association. “We've lost many historic homes. This is the biggest blow, obviously.”Hochhause said Saturday was a hard night. Customers took pieces of silverware as keepsakes and had the staff autograph menus. “A lot of emotions went on that night,” she said. “It was a very teary thing.”Reach reporter Matthew Monks by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
