Five months after devastating fire, Staten Island diner to reopen for business Monday

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Five months after a fire tore through his diner, George Bakratsas will finally reopen his neighborhood staple, the Island Coffee Shop.

“I will be here at 6 a.m. on Monday,” said the longtime restaurant owner and grill cook at 407 Manor Road, Castleton Corners.

Business will operate daily from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. starting Nov. 11.

“Everything is the same thing we used to have but a brand new store — everything is new in here,” he shared. He also admitted the investment to get to this point was enormous.

On the bright side, the staff will be consistent as always. Former regulars of the place will see the same faces.

Bakratsas said, “I took care of them for five months. They worked for so many years for me — 35 years, 20 years, 13 years and up.”

Bakratsas, 75, was forced to close in June after a fire ravaged the dining room. The eatery was boarded up until recently.

The proprietor emphasized his gratitude to longtime patrons who are like family. Among the encouraging words and hugs in such thunderous support came a GoFundMe. Most importantly, he said he treasured every word of the notes and posters left at the burnt out business.

Those sentiments will be part of a little shrine on the wall when the dining room and its long-time employees come back. It will be a testament to another chapter in the Island Coffee Shop’s timeline.

Overall, Island Coffee Shop has thrived for 39 years. The diner on Manor is its second location and George’s sixth New York City restaurant venture established over his career.

The address of 1734 Victory Blvd. just up the block served as its first home until about 14 years ago when Bakratsas’ lease ended. That former store became How Greek It Is and is slated to be a Turkish eatery.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance/SILive.com food editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.