LINDENHURST, NY – Economic hardship has led another Greek-owned diner in the Long Island area to close its doors for good, adding to the list of similar businesses that have ceased operations after decades.

This time it was the Lindencrest Diner, which was located at 330 W Montauk Hwy, in Lindenhurst, NY. The owners, Andrew Atsidakos and Fotios Sklavounakis, posted a brief note to the public on the locked door of their restaurant, announcing their decision:

“It’s with a heavy heart, I have to announce that due to economic hardships the Lindencrest Diner will be closed. We would like to thank all our patrons and staff over the past 39 years for making this diner the success it has been. We will truly miss all the familiar, happy faces that made this establishment a huge part of our lives and family. Once again, we are sorry, and you all will be missed. Andy and Foti.”

As noted by the online edition of Newsday, the Lindencrest Diner is added to a list of similar businesses in the Long Island area that have either closed or changed their operation and format in recent times. Among them were the Mediterranean Diner in Bellmore, the Lantern Diner in West Hempstead, and the Seven Seas Diner in Great Neck, which, although it reopened as a Greek restaurant, closed again after failing to achieve the expected results.

The president of the New York Restaurant Association, Melissa Fleischut, commented on this development, noting that a large number of restaurants never managed to recover from the impact of the pandemic measures. She called it the long-term effect of COVID as well as the current economy, pointing out that fewer families are choosing to dine due to rising prices she explained to 12 Bronx.

Predicting the End

Just two-and-a-half months before the closure, one of the owners, Fotios Sklavounakis, had expressed extreme pessimism about the future of the business, admitting that, especially after the pandemic, the operational status of the Lindencrest Diner had significantly changed.