In 2003, Walter Coni opened the Boca Juniors Restaurant in New York City. More than twenty years later, the place continues to attract both Argentines and international visitors who follow Boca Juniors.
“My name is Walter Adrián Coni. I’m the owner of Boca Juniors Restaurant, and it started in 2003,” he said. “When I first arrived in New York, I worked as a butcher. An Argentine and a Puerto Rican helped me get started. That’s how my story began here.”
From butcher shop to Boca-themed restaurant
Walter explained that his connection with Boca Juniors came from following the team on different trips.
“I used to travel with Boca everywhere, with my son too,” he said. “One day, I brought the whole Boca team to eat at the restaurant where I was working. While we were all at the table, I said I wanted to open a Boca restaurant in New York and asked if they would allow me to use the name. They said yes, and that’s how it started.”
“It’s been more than twenty years now,” he added. “They gave me permission to use the name, and I’ve always respected that.”
Matchdays and atmosphere
On matchdays, the restaurant becomes a meeting point for Boca fans in New York.
“I used to play the drums myself,” Walter said. “We have friends who bring bongos and sometimes trumpets. People come from everywhere — Americans, Japanese, Chinese — and they all join in supporting Boca”
The restaurant is decorated with memorabilia from Walter’s trips with the club. “All the decorations are from my own travels with my son. Photos, jerseys, and souvenirs from different places,” he explained.
When Boca visited New York
Walter recalled a visit from Boca Juniors in the early 2000s, when the team stopped in New York for a friendly match.
“It was around 2003 or 2004,” he said. “I brought the whole team to eat. There’s a photo in the restaurant with everyone sitting at a long table. I sent limousines to pick them up, and Carlitos Tévez came with his head out the window — we had to make the driver go around again because he didn’t want to get out.”
He also mentioned his friendships with former Boca players. “I was close with Chelo Delgado and Oscar Córdoba. We traveled together a lot. Carlitos was very young then — always joking around,” he said.
Traditional Argentine food
The restaurant serves only Argentine dishes.
“Everything is Argentine,” Walter said. “I’ve worked in the kitchen all my life. I make the chorizos, the mollejas, the chimichurri. We serve milanesa napolitana, steak, fish — everything we eat back home. For the first fifteen years, I cooked every day. Now I’ve trained my team, but I still check everything.”
Former Boca president Daniel Angelici is one of many visitors. “He used to come a lot. He really likes the milanesa napolitana,” Walter mentioned.
Visitors from different countries
Although the restaurant began as a place mainly for Argentines, it now receives people from around the world.
“At first, it was mostly Argentines,” he said. “Now people come from everywhere — Latinos, Americans, Chinese. Sometimes a Chinese visitor comes in wearing a Boca jersey. It’s amazing to see how far the club’s name has reached.”
Argentina matches and Boca passion
The restaurant also fills up when the Argentina national team plays.
“Always,” Walter said. “When Argentina plays, the place gets packed. I have flags made by the guys from La Doce that cover the entire restaurant.”
Walter has followed Boca Juniors for many years and says the restaurant helps keep that connection alive.
“It started with a simple idea,” he said. “I was lucky that Boca trusted me. I’ve always respected that and tried to represent the club the right way.
Boca Juniors Restaurant New York
Address: 81-08 Queens Blvd, Elmhurst, NY 11373
Phone: (718) 429-2077
