Parkdale diner Harry’s Charboiled is set to reopen by former staff members under a new name, The Originals Dining Lounge.
The beloved restaurant first ran as a neighbourhood diner owned by Tommy Petropoulos and his two brothers from 1968 onwards before getting bought by chef Grant van Gameren in 2016. After closing a few months ago, Harry’s is set to reopen, back in the hands of employees from the original restaurant.
Two servers from Harry’s, Penny Andru and Cathy, now own the restaurant with a private investor connected to the Petropoulos family. The Originals Dining Lounge is located at 160 Springhurst, and will be open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to midnight.
In an extraordinary move in gentrification-happy Toronto, Harry’s Charbroiled (now called The Originals) is back open under the management of former waitstaff, with the oversight of founder Tommy Petropoulos. @SamEdwardsTO has the story at @nowtoronto: https://t.co/GUVJ3zDzJD
— gingerbread manzocco (@nataliamanzocco) December 11, 2019
When Andru had the chance to own the restaurant, she said “it felt like a miracle,” according to Now Toronto. “Tommy and his brother George told me to buy the restaurant when they were first selling it. But at the time, my daughter was just starting cooking school and I couldn’t come up with the money.”
Some other staff from the original diner are back, invluding former wait staff, long-time cook Steve Stoymbos, and Tommy, who will help out as needed.
The new menu will return to old classics, with cheaper prices, featuring burgers at $4.99, hot dogs at $4.25, and more.
