Theatreland icon and restaurateur Joe Allen dies aged 87
Theatreland restaurateur Joe Allen, whose eponymous Covent Garden brassiere opened more than 40 years ago, has passed away at the age of 87.
Allen, who also had restaurants on Broadway and in Paris, died Sunday (7 February) in Hampton, New Hampshire, according to Jason Woodruff, a former staffer for the Allen family of restaurants who spoke to the family.
An icon of Theatreland, Allen opened his first restaurant in 1965 just off Broadway, which soon became a haven for budding actors who would often be found waiting the tables between treading the boards.
In 1977 he opened his restaurant in the heart of Covent Garden, London. The restaurant found fame soon after opening, fondly dubbed ‘the West End’s canteen’ due to the fact that it drew in large numbers of theatregoers, actors, celebrities and even royalty, who flocked to the venue known for its classic American cuisine in a New York-style setting.