Hampton Bays Diner closes
The Hampton Bays Diner has closed. Credit: Ian J. Stark
Hampton Bays Diner, a local landmark for three decades, has closed in a dispute over payment of rent and taxes.
"They filed for bankruptcy and the court closed them down," said Thomas Charos of Charos Properties Ltd. in Riverhead, the owner of the property. "I don't have a tenant."
Reached on Friday, Maria Vlahadamis said a combination of spiking taxes and a long-standing dispute with the town and its police department ultimately converged to force the shutdown.
"It's devastating," Maria Vlahadamis said of closing the diner the family has owned for 31 years. "This was our life."
The bankruptcy filing dates to December 2014.
Hampton Bays Diner was popular for its wide-ranging menu, which included breakfast specialties; sandwiches, wraps and panini; burgers and steaks, quesadillas and enchiladas, chicken Parmigiana, gyros, and salads.
The diner was at 157 West Montauk Hwy., Hampton Bays.
