Before closing its doors on Monday, Blue Bay Restaurant, located at 3533 Johnson Ave. in Riverdale, served its final $12.50 burger deluxe. The restaurant has been a community institution since 1975, when a bacon and egg special with coffee and juice cost just 68 cents.
Blue Bay was directed over the decades by brothers Alex and Chris Katechis, together with their brother-in-law Tommy Catechis, who raised their families among its welcoming atmosphere. There are similarities between the fictional Monk’s Café from “Seinfeld” and the retro classic restaurant from “Cheers
.”After negotiations with Friedland Properties broke down, which intended to raise the rent and require Blue Bay to relocate, the establishment’s founder, Alex Katechis, remains in charge, together with his son, Spiro Katechis, and nephew, Steve Catechis, who quietly announced the closure last week.
Before closing its doors on Monday, Blue Bay Restaurant, located at 3533 Johnson Ave. in Riverdale, served its final $12.50 burger deluxe. The restaurant has been a community institution since 1975, when a bacon and egg special with coffee and juice cost just 68 cents.
Blue Bay was directed over the decades by brothers Alex and Chris Katechis, together with their brother-in-law Tommy Catechis, who raised their families among its welcoming atmosphere. There are similarities between the fictional Monk’s Café from “Seinfeld” and the retro classic restaurant from “Cheers.”
After negotiations with Friedland Properties broke down, which intended to raise the rent and require Blue Bay to relocate, the establishment’s founder, Alex Katechis, remains in charge, together with his son, Spiro Katechis, and nephew, Steve Catechis, who quietly announced the closure last week.
Blue Bay Restaurant, situated at 3533 Johnson Ave. in Riverdale, served its last $12.50 burger deluxe before closing on Monday. In 1975, the diner became a community landmark by charging only 68 cents for a special that included bacon, eggs, coffee, and juice.
Over the years, Blue Bay has been led by brothers Alex and Chris Katechis, together with their brother-in-law Tommy Catechis, who grew up in its warm and inviting environment. The vintage classic eatery from “Cheers” and the fictitious Monk’s Café from “Seinfeld” share certain characteristics.
Founder Alex Katechis, along with his son Spiro Katechis and nephew Steve, continue to run the business after negotiations with Friedland Properties went down, with the intention of raising the rent and forcing Blue Bay to relocate.
When Blue Bay’s lease was up for renewal the last time around ten years ago, the company almost closed. At that point, Friedland was requesting rent increases of 5% annually, which would have swiftly forced the company out of existence.
However, Riverdale came together in support of the diner, and in 2011 a solution with Friedland was finally reached. In the talks for a new 10-year lease that would extend until 2021 with 3% annual increments, attorney Bob Rubinstein represented Blue Bay. This resulted in a 25% overall cost decrease over the landlord’s initial offer.
Ever since the lease expired a year ago, Blue Bay has rented on a month-to-month basis.
Meanwhile, the city’s dining establishments are still flickering to life. The workforce at Blue Bay is still just half as large as it was in 2019. It has months’ worth of
