Tom’s Starlight, a midcentury-style cocktail lounge that inhabits a former diner on Colfax Avenue, has closed barely a year after opening.
Co-owner Tom Messina confirmed the closure via text Monday, stating that the space, which is a historic landmark, is still available for lease. Tom’s Starlight was listed for lease earlier this month.
“We hope someone will come in and do right by the space. GBX, my partners and me are very proud of what we’ve done in preserving the building,” Messina said by text. “After 45 years in the business I am ready for retiring and spending time with the family.”
Tom’s Starlight made its debut in September 2022 after being known as Tom’s Diner for decades. The new concept traded its traditional 24-hour diner look and eats for a midcentury modern atmosphere that specialized in cocktails.
Messina originally planned to sell the building several years ago, but preservation activists helped get it listed on the National Register of Historic Places after learning it would be demolished by the prospective buyer.