EXCLUSIVE: Vegas Diner announces official closing date

It’s closing time.

The beloved Bensonhurst eatery Vegas Diner, located at the corner of 86th Street and 16th Avenue, announced in March that it would shut its doors for good and now the last day has been set.

On Monday, June 26, the local staple will be closed for good, much to the sadness of dedicated customers and staff.

“It’s emotional to us because it’s like we’re saying goodbye to our second family,” one of the owners, Frank Mavromichalis, told this paper. “We’ve made so many friends through the years and we’ve met so many wonderful people. We’ve had so many great experiences here. It’s difficult to walk away from that but unfortunately our time has come to move on.”

Since the announcement of the closure, Mavromichalis said that the support from the community has been touching. “We’ve had such a loyal following with our customers through the years,” he said. “You couldn’t have asked for better customers than what we’ve had. They’ve been very supportive and they’re staying loyal all the way through until the end, which we appreciate greatly.”

He added that there may be a farewell event of some kind, though the details have yet to be hammered out.

Mavromichalis, who has been an owner for around six years, also discussed the reason for the closure. The restaurant, he said, is, “Still being run by the original partnership and the guys who were the original owners from 1982 made the decision to retire and spend some time with their families,” he said. “It was a group decision.”

That didn’t make it easy, however. “A lot of the customers have been telling me that this was their second home and they felt they were part of our family, and it’s hard to put words together but it’s wonderful to hear those things,” Mavromichalis said. “We tried to accommodate anyone under any circumstance. Whether it was a hurricane or snowstorm, our doors were always open to the public. We tried to do our best.”