MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, NY — Tom's Restaurant, a popular spot that has graced the corner of 112th Street and Broadway in Morningside Heights for about 70 years, went from being a simple neighborhood diner to a destination spot for tourists all over the world in the 1990s. That's when the restaurant's facade was first used as the exterior scene for Monk's Cafe in "Seinfeld," the hit television series that aired from 1989-1998 on NBC.



Now, nearly 20 years after the series' final episode broke all sorts of TV viewing records, Seinfeld fans still make the pilgrimage to the spot that bears just the word "Restaurant" in red neon lights facing 112th Street. "People come in everyday and ask us about Seinfeld, about where they sat. It's the same questions from different people from all over the world," said Mike Zoulis, the second-generation owner of the cafe who took over managing the business from his father and uncles when "Seinfeld" was the most popular show on television during the 1990s.

Watch: 'Seinfeld' Fans Still Flock To Iconic Diner Nearly 20 Years Later "I like it a lot," he said of the attention his diner gets from its association with the show. "We embrace it."

Deb and Steve Kessler of Alaska were taking in a mid-morning breakfast at Tom's on Friday while in New York visiting their daughter, Annie, who attends New York University at the other end of Manhattan in Greenwich Village. "We came from all the way across town to eat here just because of 'Seinfeld,'" said Deb Kessler. "I took pictures of the sign and sent it to everyone I know on Snapchat."

Steve Kessler, who says he still watches reruns of "Seinfeld" every night, said he came across the address of the Seinfeld diner (2880 Broadway) just the night before when deciding on where to eat the next morning.

"We wanted to see the 'Restaurant,'" he said. "It's iconic. You see that in almost every episode."

Long before "Seinfeld" turned Tom's into one of the most visited New York City tourist destinations, the diner was a hot spot for students at nearby Columbia University who need to get in a few extra hours of studying late at night. The restaurant is open 24/7 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. "Many of Tom's best customers are the Columbia students," according to the restaurant's website. "Over the years, Tom's has become a rite of passage for the students. Life is not complete for a Columbia student unless they get a milkshake and gravy fries at 3 a.m."