The Carousel Luncheonette, a Princeton dining institution, served its last meals on Sunday, Nov. 27.
Nicole Ackley, manager and waitress, who was packing up her family’s restaurant on Nassau Street on Monday morning. Her brother David Schneider owned the Carousel.
”The landlord raised our rent,” said Ms. Ackley. “And that was pretty much it. We couldn’t afford to stay in this location. He raised it a significant amount.”
”We may reopen if we can find space in Princeton,” added Ms. Ackley. “As of now that hasn’t happened.”
The luncheonette has moved since Mr. Schneider bought it in 1996, when it was at 260 Nassau Street. It moved a few blocks down Nassau in 2003 to increase its space. Its 182 Nassau Street was a former record store that was transformed into the restaurant.
”Carousel has been an institution in this town for 50 or 60 years,” said Ms. Ackley. The restaurant originally opened in the 1960s, she estimated.
Many of Princeton University’s students and staff frequented the restaurant as well as many locals.
One of Ms. Ackley’s regular customers was Congressman Rush Holt.
”In terms of Princeton, he was in here quite often,” she said. “Dr. Cornel West was in here quite often. We had Chevy Chase eat in the restaurant.”
Lily Tomlin’s assistant came by every day during her bosses’ multi-week run at McCarter Theatre in 2000 to pick up food for the actress every morning for three weeks.
”She had a specific order, so I wrote it down on an index card so her assistant could just call in,” said Ms. Ackely, who had a signed photo of the star hanging on the wall. “I just took it off the wall. I can’t believe I remember this,” recalling the order of two omelets, potatoes, toast and coffee with artificial sweetener.
”Isn’t it scary that I remember that?” she chuckled.
Omelets and pancakes were the most popular items on the menu for the luncheonette that was only open for breakfast and lunch.
”Princeton needs the Carousel,” said Rep. Holt, who often ordered a short stack and a scrambled egg in his more than 15 years of patronage. “It’s been more than a coffee shop. It’s a meeting place that has been valuable to the town. When I was thinking about running for Congress I met at the old Carousel with Michelle Tuck-Ponder, Marvin Reed, Tom Hartmann and others and plotted my run.”
”At the new location, I’ve held countless meetings, planned or unplanned,” he recalled. “Often serendipitous meetings.”
The iconic décor is moving to the family’s other restaurant in Hopewell, the Brass Ring.
”I never realized what it would be like to pack up a restaurant,” said Ms. Ackley. “We have another place, so it’s being packed up and going somewhere else. I never realized how much stuff we have.”
The fate of the iconic carousel horse that watched over Nassau Street is unknown at this point because of its size.
”That’s sad, it’s a beautiful piece, it’s a real carousel horse,” said Ms. Ackley. “I don’t know what we’re going to do with the horse. It’s going to go in storage. Knowing my brother, he’ll find a place for it in the Brass Ring. We’re definitely not going to let it go. Hopefully, it will have another home.”
Ms. Ackley will be working at Tre Piani in Forrestal Village because the Brass Ring is too far from her Ocean County home.
”I want to stay in the area so I can still see my customers,” she said. “A lot of my customers are repeat customers, and at least 75 percent of them I’ve known for 10 years. That’s a long time, I don’t want to loose that contact, so I decided to get a job in this area so I don’t loose that contact. That’s how much love there was here.”
The remaining three waitresses, part of the Carousel family because of their longevity, will move over to the Brass Ring.
One server, a Princeton native, has been working at the Carousel for 15 years, since she was 14; another has been with the restaurant since the late 1990s.
”They really are amazing,” said Ms. Ackley. “You want to talk about dedication. It’s fantastic, you don’t see that much anymore its rare people stick around.”
The spot at 182 Nassau will become a Cheeburger Cheeburger, a national burger chain. Signage, replacement windows and new awnings, which are all variance-free, will need to be approved by the zoning officer, planning director and the borough engineer. Applications are in Regional Planning office and staff are waiting on requested revisions to grant approval.
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