Two seemingly popular restaurants have shut their doors.
Athena — the longtime diner just over the Southport line — posted a handwritten sign. It says simply, “Diner sold.”
Athena Diner
Qdoba — a “fast casual” Mexican chain — opened 4 years ago next to Playhouse Square. It was a favorite of many teenagers. No reason was given for the closure.
Qdoba prepared to open, in July 2014.
Sad to see Athena close, maybe it will be reborn if it really was sold. Qdobawas no surprise, no business , like Chipotle, and a few others that I can’t see staying open much longer.
So sorry!!!!
Amy Saperstein 917-439-9047
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Pretty soon we are going to need hot dog cart vendors to sustain the masses!
The food was so/so at best and the restaurant was not properly staffed and the staff was not trained very well.
I went to Athena often and enjoyed the food and service. The owners just completed a redo of the exterior about a year ago. There has to be a story here.
I grew up in Westport (Staples ’62). Back then, the restaurants in the Yellow Pages were listed by type (Italian, French…). There was only one listing under Greek, the Athena Diner. They will be missed.
Were (or are) the Sherwood and Athena diners owned by the same family?
The Sherwood and the Circle diners are owned by the same family. Circle is the one in Fairfield next to the Circle Motor Inn. Athena apparently was owned by a different entity.
I liked Athena. I hope the new owner reopens it.
Qdoba was terrible. Nothing to separate from the crowd. Staff more interested in speaking w each other and lousy food. Shall not be missed
Athena Diner good food, nice staff dangerous to get in and out of. I wish we had a good Greek Restaurant in town, or anywhere nearby. Any suggestions?
Pontos on Isaac Street in Norwalk.
Went to Qdoba once and got a bad vibe.
Food was forgettable and staff indifferent.
Never returned.
I remember Thanksgiving morning last November at the Turkey Run in Southport stopping into Athena’s for breakfast. I observed them aggresively turning away several family’s with young children, runners and race watchers who sought to visit their restrooms during and immediately after the race because “they weren’t customers”. I remember feeling very uncomfortable, like I was in NYC seeing homeless people being rudely turned away from a stores restroom. It was such a tone deaf response to the magic and joy of Thanksgiving morning and that wonderful annual community run. They lost my business from that point on.
John,
Can I come over to your house and use your bathroom? Asking for a friend.
Thanks,
Mike
I’m a onetime winner of that “wonderful community run,” the son of a man who found great comfort at Athena in his latter years, and a former Westport resident who lives in NYC and appreciates how charitably its residents and neighbors treat each other. In sum, I guess you could say I object to your cheap, cliched and erroneous comments for more reasons than I can count on one hand.
I didn’t think Athena diner was that great..
Story in Monday’s Fairfield Citizen — 18 June
No sale recorded yet on town land records and the town Community and Economic Development director, Mark Barnhart, has heard nothing about the closing or a sale and neither had Chamber of Commerce President Beverly Balaz.
Here’s the shocker:
Liens from IRS date back to 2014 totaling $226,650.
The diner also owed back personal property tax of $2,026 and real estate taxes in arrears of $105,236.
Maybe the owner skipped the country and is now in Greece.
That snarky comment was unnecessary.
I don’t view that as snarky at all. If you owed the Feds 1/4 of a million $$ plus state tax and real estate tax and your whole livelihood went belly up and you frequently visited your home country and you were 52……seems like a solid idea.
And there is no buyer on record to date.
No need to be prissy here.
Just reporting the facts.
I was referring to the final line.
Yes, I know you were.
But it’s not really snarky. It’s an out for man in a jam.