The outcome of the final scene of the famed, six-season HBO show, “The Sopranos,” has long been debated by fans who were left wondering what exactly happened to Tony Soprano when he looked up from his infamous diner bench and the screen cut to black.
The diner scene has been the catalyst for hundreds of conspiracy theories and assumptions about the fate of Soprano and the surrounding universe.
Now, fans of the show have their chance to own a piece of television history.
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Holsten’s Ice Cream, Chocolate & Restaurant in Bloomfield, New Jersey, where the iconic scene was filmed, announced on Instagram that it is auctioning off the iconic booth as the establishment undergoes renovations and upgrades.
“The time has come. All good things sometimes need an upgrade. The famous Sopranos booth is getting a much-needed face-lift,” the company wrote of the nearly 60-year-old booth. “It has come to a point where [the booths] are structurally not safe anymore as a whole, and we need to think about the safety of our patrons first.”
The booth is cheekily adorned with a sign that reads: “This booth is reserved for the Soprano family.”
As of Monday afternoon, the booth had already earned a high bid on eBay of $82,200.
“I don’t want to change it, but I’m forced to change it. I’m forced to make things stay modern somewhat,” Holsten’s co-owner Chris Carley said in an interview with NJ Advance Media last week. “People will either get used to it, or they won’t get used to it. But I think they will… hopefully, the response will be when the new one is in that everybody likes it.”
Carley added that the seats have become progressively withered down over the years, especially since the finale aired in the summer of 2007, which made Holsten’s a tourist attraction and the booth a once-in-a-lifetime photo opp.
Still, despite the damage, fans of the show are begging the establishment on social media to keep the booth the way it is, with some even touting the remodel as a “horrible” decision.
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“Can’t seem to understand this from a business perspective,” one person wrote. “Even if it is no longer safe and can’t be repaired, it makes far more sense to build some plexiglass around it. I know so many people who have visited NJ and made Holsten’s a priority stop.”
“What makes you great is your quality product and nostalgia! You do NOT need to upgrade, you need to let future generations enjoy what older generations already know,” another chimed in.
Carley told NJ Advance Media that the establishment is not quite sure what they will do with the money from the auction.
Bidding will close at 10:02 p.m. ET on Monday.
