Acton's iconic downtown restaurant, Tommy's Grill and Bar, is open once again. The eatery, located at 28 Mill St. East, was suddenly shuttered on June 4 after owner Tommy Pappakonstantinou was admitted to hospital with a serious medical condition.
But the doors were open on Friday July 7, and many of the regular customers were back once again. “Yes I missed it..I didn't know where to go for food or coffee,” said Rick Munro who came for lunch with his girlfriend.
Neville Jones, another stalwart customer, was also relieved to see the “open” sign once again. “I missed it very much,” he said.
“We were closed for about a month, but we got busy as soon as we reopened,”according to manager and cook George Leimonitis, who has worked at the grill since Tommy acquired the place in 2004. Leimonitis cited some of the most popular items on the menu that are again available for take-out or dining in. “The banquet burger, chicken Greek salad, fish and chips and dinner specials get ordered a lot. And we're back to the normal hours now, from 9 am to 8 pm seven days a week.”
Tommy's condition has since stabilized, although he's expected to remain in hospital until mid-July. Meanwhile, Tommy's son R.J. (Robert John Pappakonstantinou) has stepped up and hired some staff to spruce up the place. Linda Thomas, who worked for Tommy for 14 years, is back again doing some scrubbing and cleaning. Another regular, Riley Rolfe was working out the back cutting the grass and pulling weeds around the parking lot..
Wayne Graham, a heavy equipment operator by trade, volunteered his tools and labour. “I just wanted to help out Tommy,” he said. “I've done it before and I'll do it again.”
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