Blue Sky Diner to Reopen in 4-6 Weeks

Fans of Stratford's Blue Sky Diner will be happy to know the longtime diner, closed since early July (see story below), is on its way to reopening.

"I am happy to announce that the structural repairs were started earlier this week," owner Nikos Avramopoulos told Stratford Patch. "We plan to reopen the diner within four to six weeks."

Avramopoulos said he'd like to thank his customers for their support and loyalty, and that an event will be held the day before the official reopening. He said customers can keep themselves updated on the progress of the diner by visiting the Blue Sky's website.

Our original article, published July 9, follows.

The owner of the longtime Stratford diner says he hopes to reopen in about a month.

Published July 9

Town officials last week ordered the immediate closure of the following a structural engineer's inspection of the longtime Stratford diner.

"The engineer said we had to replace some I-beams," said owner Nikos Avramopoulos, who hopes to reopen in three to four weeks.

Fire department officials were summoned to the Ferry Boulevard restaurant last Tuesday after Avramopoulos' wife called the department on a complaint about smoke in the building.

Avramopoulos said a small brush fire outside caused smoke to enter the basement, which spurred his wife to call the fire department. When they arrived, firefighters noticed rusty beams in the basement so they called in a building inspector, Avramopoulos said.

Blue Sky's owner said the building inspector told him to hire a structural engineer, who determined the beams needed to be replaced.

Avramopolous, who bought the restaurant 35 years ago, said the fix will cost anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000. He said he also plans to make a few minor cosmetic changes to the restaurant, including possibly installing a new rug and updating light fixtures.

"I just wanted to get the message across to our customers," said Avramopoulos about patrons who may have thought the closure was related to something else. "We have a very good reputation in the neighborhood."