6 North Shore Towers Courier n September 2015 By Stephen Vrattos In the wee small hours of March 1, 2015, not long before the scheduled opening of their first day of business, new Towers Restaurant managers Buffy and Spiros Dimas and General Manager Angelo Pantazis had begun the process of updating and cleaning a business, suffering from 40 years of neglect. The equipment, countertops, work stations… everything was cleaned. The Dimas’s strict personal code for running a restaurant, one which has served them well over the years with several successful and thriving eateries in Long Island—that being, “all fresh; nothing canned; nothing frozen”—only exacerbated the situation. All food, regardless of the “Best by” dates or whether it were canned, was tossed. An admirable dictum under which to run a food business, but one that left the new team with nothing to prepare and few options to find supplies in the early hours leading up to their opening. Fortunately, some fresh food was available from the aforementioned restaurants. But without having any idea what they would encounter once the keys were handed over, they hadn’t a clue what supplies they would need and what limitations they’d be forced to work under, given the condition of the restaurant, when they first walked into the space. They worked throughout the night and were able to prepare the popular North Shore Towers diner enough to open the doors they next day, albeit it late. Conditions were not ideal, to say the least. Uncertainty over what food was available meant printed menus weren’t possible, so waiters were forced to provide an oral account to patrons of what they could order, which caused delays. Phone lines had yet to be installed, negating the use of credit cards for payment, creating further frustration among the clientele. Still, the restaurant did not go dark, the new managers fulfilling the contractual promise they’d made when assuming control. The first step in proprietorship had been weathered with greater challenges to come, namely the complete renovation of the Towers Restaurant and adjoining Towers on the Green catering hall. And these major projects would have to be accomplished without shutting the doors to the restaurant and while circumnavigating important holidays, special events, like the 40th Anniversary dinner show, and other commitments. STAGE I Main Kitchen On May 5, the main kitchen was gutted, save for the dishwashing station, which had been completely overhauled days earlier. 40 years takes its toll on the workings of any business, never mind those of a constantly busy restaurant, whether nurtured or ignored, as was the case at the Towers. Most if not all the gas and electrical lines, sprinkler system and plumbing had to be replaced. A new Ansul System was installed, where once there wasn’t any. Similar to sprinklers, the Ansul System—set above open-flame grills—disperses fire retardant in case of emergency. It is now an important part of the fire code of any restaurant, but had never been installed by the prior tenants. The ovens, grills, warmers, everything was in desperate need of updating, not only from age, abuse and lack of upkeep, but also to modernize equipment and conditions, which were four decades old. Top-ofthe line, state-of-the-art, heavy duty replacements were installed, which would not only service the diner with ease, but also facilitate the needs of Towers on the Green, during the most demanding events. And a new walkin refrigeration unit was also added, where previously, there were walkins only on the kitchens basement level. An army of workers, plumbers, electricians and technicians worked diligently to complete the renovation before the next day’s service. STAGE II Dining Room On the weekend of North Shore Towers 40th Anniversary celebration, oversized computergenerated renditions of the new Photos by Stephen Vrattos $1,000,000 and counting No cutting corners with Towers Restaurant renovation
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