By Alex Robinson
John Papis is a restaurateur with a porpoise.
The veteran restaurant owner opened his new endeavor, the Dolphin Diner, in Hillcrest last week.
The diner serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from 6 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week and has room for 125 customers.
Its menu offers a variety of fare, including steaks, traditional Greek dishes and Papis’ speciality — seafood.
“I used to like to swim and play with the dolphins and I like seafood,” Papis said. “That’s why I picked out this name.”
Papis grew up in a small village near Olympia in Greece before immigrating to the United States in 1967.
“My country was poor. My family was poor,” he said. “I came to America to get a better life and the first place I got work in the United States was a restaurant, so I stuck with restaurants.”
He bought his first restaurant, which was called “78,” on John Street in southern Manhattan. The Astoria resident went on to own a number of other eateries in Manhattan, upstate New York and Astoria.
The Dolphin Diner, at 162-16 Union Turnpike, replaced the closed Cornerstone Diner in a small Hillcrest strip mall. Papis said he was lured to the location because he liked the friendly vibes he got from the community.
“It’s a nice quiet neighborhood with good people,” he said. “Traffic is good around there. I like the neighborhood. There are no problems there.”
Papis celebrated the opening of his new restaurant with Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows), former Deputy Borough President Leroy Comrie, and representatives from Assemblywoman Nily Rozic’s (D-Fresh Meadows) office last week.
The restaurateur said that even though a diner recently closed down in the same location, he was confident the quality of his food would ensure the success of his establishment.
“We try to give you the best service, with a good price and big portions,” Papis said.
Reach reporter Alex Robinson by e-mail at arobinson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
