The Peter Pan Diner Soars Again
Posted by estiator at 14 June, at 16 : 48 PM Print
COVER STORY
After a devastating fire, a beloved family-owned restaurant returns. By Michael Kaminer
In Greek mythology, the phoenix is a legendary bird that rises from its own ashes, stronger and more resilient. Bay Shore, New York, has its own phoenix. And while it may be a local legend, it’s not a myth.
After a devastating fire that shut it down for nearly two years, the Peter Pan Diner reopened in March—restored, renovated, and refreshed. And the community institution is busier than ever, according to owner Peter Lentzeres, whose family has operated the diner for nearly 70 years.
“It’s been very busy, and our in-house business has been outstanding,” says Lentzeres, whose father, Constantine, bought the diner in 1959 with Lentzeres’ uncles, Tom Gavaris, Charles Demirakos, and Louis Demakos. “The volume has been more than I thought possible. People are coming from everywhere. I’m so grateful for our community and for the customers who are returning.”
Local elected officials have also cheered the diner’s return. “The town supervisor of Islip, Angie M. Carpenter, has been coming here for decades, and she’s a big supporter of the diner,” Lentzeres says. “She has been so helpful.”
In a statement to Estiator, Carpenter returned the sentiment: “The Peter Pan Diner means so much to our town; it is a place where families have gathered for generations, where meetings, events, and family celebrations have taken place, for so many years. The genuine caring and friendliness of the staff always makes it feel like home.”
The reopening comes after an excruciating two years when a reopening presented challenges that seemed insurmountable.
“The fire started in the kitchen, and there was extensive damage throughout the building,” Lentzeres says. “Insurance was a huge headache because there was no water in the hydrant when the fire department showed up. The same water line was supposed to feed our sprinklers, hence the total destruction of the kitchen, along with our bathrooms.”
Before Lentzeres could even consider rebuilding, he had to resolve insurance-claims issues. And that took time. Over nearly 20 months, Lentzeres learned to play the bass, joined a local Tom Petty tribute band, the Petty Rockers, and learned to play tennis. Through it all, he was counting the days until the diner’s reopening.
One of the first people to step in was local builder Peter Alexis, “an amazing person and an amazing contractor,” Lentzeres says. “The fire was barely out, and he was one of the first people we called. He came right away. He helped make our comeback as smooth as possible.”
Lentzeres also enlisted New York designer Georgio Sava to rethink the diner’s entire space. The result is a beautiful new restaurant that maintains its diner heritage but feels very of-the-moment in its decor and configuration.
“We changed the size of our dining area, making it a little smaller and enlarging our bar,” Lentzeres says. “I removed our counters. But diners are famous for counters, so the first thing you see when you walk in is a beautiful, 14-seat bar that doubles as a ‘counter.’ The entrance is more open, and roomier. There are fewer tables because we didn’t want that look of tables crammed together.”
As third-party business continues to grow, “we made a larger area for deliveries, with a bigger workspace. But I’m not pushing deliveries right now. We’re just trying to get through this honeymoon period and all of the inbound business,” he says.
Lentzeres upgraded the diner’s flooring, using herringbone-patterned porcelain that resembles real wood. For its trim, he opted for terrazzo. “I didn’t want to totally lose the feel of a diner. Diners are famous for terrazzo flooring,” he says. Lentzeres also added an extra bathroom, for a total of three.
One of Sava’s flourishes was to add a tree to the middle of the dining room. “In the tree, we put Tinkerbell. It’s a custom tree, completely lit up, and people get so excited to see that Tinkerbell. In both dining areas, Georgio decided to put a hint of the enchanted forest from Peter Pan. We have custom-designed wallpaper in a forest motif, and it’s magnificent. There’s now a theme of the forest throughout the diner.”
The diner’s beloved exterior sign even got a facelift. Peter Pan’s face on the new sign is inspired by the visage of Lentzeres’ three-year-old grandson, George.
Some things could not get replaced. A huge board in the middle of the diner featured thousands of pictures brought in by customers; all of the images were destroyed in the fire. Instead, Lentzeres created a new “community wall,” with photos of Bay Shore and the surrounding towns through the years, from sports teams to prominent locals.
And a wall in the dining room now features a “huge, beautiful, illuminated photo of my dad and my three uncles, who all originally owned the diner in the 1950s. I had four fathers, not one. And I had the greatest life with all of them,” Lentzeres says.
Lentzeres also seized the moment to shake up the diner’s menu, adding bowls like salmon with mango salsa, Greek lemon chicken, and a shrimp-salmon seafood bowl. “Our menu has always been very progressive,” he says. “Our bestsellers are wraps and quesadillas, and we have ten different types of burgers. Our dinner specials are big sellers, including our fish menus. People love our skirt steak combo. And, of course, the diner classics are perennials, including omelets and pancakes.”
What has not changed is the family atmosphere, including servers who have greeted customers for decades. “Some of them have been with us for more than 40 years. Athena and Shari are two servers that customers ask for by name. They are so loved.”
Some new staff also joined, since members of his team had to seek new jobs while the restaurant was closed. “I got so many applications. We’re very fortunate. We have a very good crew with a lot of potential,” Lentzeres says.
As a family affair, the restaurant’s roots run deep. Lentzeres’ family emigrated from Sparti in the early 1950s, “and before they bought the Peter Pan Diner, they were always into restaurants,” he says. His father and uncles owned the Paramount diner in the Bronx, and the Harbor Restaurant in Parsippany, New Jersey, in the years prior.
Today, Lentzeres’ wife, Angela, and brother, Nick, also help run the diner. Daughters Georgia, a finance executive, and Victoria, a teacher, also contribute their expertise. “They help a lot,” he says.
After a grueling two years, the diner’s future is looking bright. “Recent years, including the year of the fire, were our biggest-grossing years. We do no advertising and no social media. This is a close-knit community, so you can imagine the connections and ties we’ve made. I couldn’t be more grateful for that.”
