STATEN ISLAND, NY – As Day Two of Phase 2 of the lifting of restrictions in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic began in Staten Island, many patrons of The Colonnade Diner in Dongan Hills were wondering when the beloved eatery would be reopening, especially since the diner has an outdoor patio area, called “Santorini Garden,” named after the island birthplace of the owner Markos “Mike” Platis, SILive.com reported on June 23.

According to the SILive report, “The Colonnade will reopen on Saturday, June 27 at 9 AM,” noting that the diner has been in business for over 40 years and Platis expanded it “in 2014 with its al fresco section dubbed ‘Santorini Garden Café.’”

The patio “is accessed through a door on the second floor and a stairwell from the parking lot,” SILive reported.

A longtime server at the restaurant, Lois Donofrio told SILIve that “Saturday night will be BBQ Night. And closing time is when all the customers go home.”

The Colonnade first opened in 1974, and “was once called the ‘Disco Diner,’ so named as a known location for Islanders after a night of clubbing and dancing,” SILive reported.

Donofrio, “thrilled with the matching masks the staff will be wearing,” told SILive that “we’re happy to getting our customers back.”