Dear Red Phone: It’s been a year since the Longhouse Restaurant was closed due to fire. Will it ever reopen?
Thank you, good caller, for asking the question that is top-of-mind for the legions of fans of The Longhouse – one of Gilroy’s most beloved restaurants – located on 8195 Monterey St. Ever since an early-morning kitchen fire raced through the restaurant last July, people are wondering when this local hot spot, offering comfort food at reasonable prices, will reopen.
Red Phone caught up with the co-owner, Pete Maroudas, who on many days, waits out in the restaurant’s parking lot to reassure the anxious public that he and his nephew and other co-owner, Danny Maroudas have every intention of reopening as soon as possible. Restoration has been moving along, albeit slowly, with the work being done by Pacific Reconstruction, which specializes in disaster restoration and insurance repairs of commercial buildings. When Red Phone asked for an estimate of when the restaurant may reopen, Maroudas said, “We are pushing really hard to reopen in the next one and a half months.”
Maroudas took Red Phone inside the building for a tour, pointing out all the work that has been done so far, including a new roof and fresh sheet rock. The bar area, called the Beehive Cocktail Lounge, has been completely remodeled and is ready to go. Next steps are the ceiling and walls which need to be textured and painted, along with installing new flooring. Then, the brand new appliances, booths and tables, which have already been delivered, will need to be installed.
“We lost a lot of time with all the rain we had this past winter which delayed the remodel work. Our restaurant is just one of the many projects that our contractor is responsible for and they are doing their best to work us into their schedule. We can’t push them too much,” cautioned Maroudas.
Maroudas, who immigrated from Greece to the United States in 1956, has owned the Longhouse Restaurant since 1977. Old timers from Gilroy may remember that the restaurant was formerly the Busy Bee. “The Longhouse is a family restaurant. I want it to feel like home for my customers,” explains Maroudas. “Among our many specialties, we are well-known for our traditional, Greek Lemon Soup. People insist on having it every Sunday.
“We appreciate all the concern that everyone has shown us. Immediately after the fire, the first thing people asked was, ‘Is everybody OK?’ Everyone has been very, very supportive – – the police and fire departments as well as the city.”
Tom Wagner, the building’s owner, says, “The toughest part is on the Longhouse employees, many of which worked there for many years.” It appears that the employees are just as loyal as the customers, with several waiting and willing to return when the restaurant eventually reopens.
When will The Longhouse open?
