Iconic Olympia Diner Owners Weigh Offers For Sale, Site Redevelopment

NEWINGTON, CT — The family that owns the iconic Olympia Diner on the Berlin Turnpike says it is fielding multiple offers to buy and redevelop the site.

A Massachusetts-based real estate development firm, Arista Development, had approached the town last fall about putting a restaurant with a drive-thru at the 3413 Berlin Turnpike site.

However, Arista Development confirmed this week it is no longer involved in pursuing a project there. Neither Arista nor attorney John Knuff, who represented Arista in the pre-application meeting last fall, would comment on why.

Arista Development never filed any formal application with the town after its initial meeting with planners last fall, town officials said.

Stavros Gavrilis, an owner of the diner, said Tuesday that recent publicity and media attention about the business and property, including speculation about what became of the Arista plans for a restaurant with a drive-thru, has led to multiple offers from developers for the family to consider.

The family has now been getting offers “constantly,” according to Gavrilis. Initially, the family had been looking for a private individual to take over the business.

“Big developers have been expressing interest and making offers,” Gavrilis said. “Now, I have to look at all of the offers.”

He and his brother, Tasos Gavrilis, have been running the diner for decades, and would like to retire. Their children are not interested in taking over the business.

“We are at the age of retirement and need someone to buy the business,” Stavros Gavrilis said. “A year ago, we were looking to quietly retire.”

When they approached the Town Plan and Zoning Commission last October, Stavros Gavrilis told the panel, “Like the saying goes, sooner or later, every performer takes a bow and gets off the stage, and that is where we are at.”

For now, the future of the Olympia Diner property remains unknown, even to the owners. The family now has to decide which offer, if any, it will choose. Any potential redevelopment would have to go through necessary land use boards and town approvals, which could take months.

In the meantime, the diner is open for business, still serving favorites such as breakfast, with eggs, pancakes and French toast. Its menu features specialty burgers, steak, hot oven grinders, sandwiches, Italian specialties like home-style baked lasagna, and Greek favorites such as gyros and moussaka.

“As it stands right now, it is steady as she goes and business as usual,” Stavros Gavrilis said.

The 1.23-acre property is owned by 3413 Berlin Turnpike LLC, whose principals are the Gavrilis family, and it has been owned by the family for decades. It has an appraised value of $997,260, town records show. It is currently listed for sale, and it is being advertised as being suitable for a variety of uses, from a restaurant to a bank, convenience store, drug store, or auto shop.

The stainless steel Olympia Diner was brought to Newington in 1954, and it has been owned by three families. The Kritikos and Goulias families each owned it for a decade, and the current owners, the Gavrilis family, have owned it since 1974, according to the diner’s website.

Town Manager Jonathan Altshul said Wednesday, “We are hopeful that the Olympia Diner will continue to operate for generations to come. At this time, we have not received any land development applications for this property.”

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