New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Popular West Haven diner to reopen for takeout
WEST HAVEN — Georgie’s Diner is set to reopen Wednesday for takeout and delivery, some eight months after a fire closed it down.
The announcement of the planned reopening was made on the popular diner’s Facebook page and fans came out of the woodwork to say they couldn’t wait to order.
An accidental fire closed the 427 Elm St. diner in early July.
West Haven Fire Department Chief James O’Brien said at the time it was “bad luck” for Georgie’s Diner to have a fire in the midst of the pandemic, just before indoor dining was about to resume.
The owner of the diner could not be reached for comment, but a post on the website Monday read:
“We still have some loose ends to tie up, but we can’t wait any longer! Georgie’s will be open for TAKEOUT & DELIVERY this WednesdaySaturday 10am-2pm. Hours and services will be expanded ASAP and updated here!”
O’Brien said at the time of the fire: “It’s bad enough the business is affected by COVID-19 and now we have a fire. I hope people support them.”
The lucky part, O’Brien said, was that the Fire Department is only about a block away and crews had immediate access to the basement before the fire got out of control.
It was unclear whether the eatery had begun indoor dining at the time of the fire, but O’Brien said the restaurant had been doing takeout for a while and was open for outdoor dining. He said the owner is a “hard worker,” and he would sympathize with any business in that position.
The fire started in the basement after the diner was closed for the day and was contained there, O’Brien said at the time, but the blaze caused smoke damage throughout the building. In addition to suffering smoke damage, the basement suffered water and fire damage.
It all started with an alarm, which O’Brien said brought the owner to the premises thinking it might be a burglary. Since the owner was on scene with keys, firefighters were able to go in the front door to get to the lower level.