🔴 The owner of Portsmouth's Nostimo Greek announced his retirement Saturday

🔴 The final day of business will be Friday

🔴 The Golden Egg Diner, which closed in 2020, will take over the space on Mirona Road


 

The closing of one longtime Portsmouth restaurant means the return of another that was forced to close during the pandemic.

Dean Zottos, the owner of the Nostimo Greek restaurant on Mirona Road in Portsmouth, announced on the restaurant's Facebook page Saturday his retirement.

"On March 1st I turned 60 years old. Pondering what I wanted the next decade to look like , I made a decision. I will be retiring from the restaurant industry," Zottos wrote. "While this is the right choice for me and my family, it does not come without some sense of a bittersweet feeling."

Zottos thanked his customers for making the restaurant what it has become.

"For 16 years we have watched your children grow, met extended families and welcomed your patronage to our restaurant. We thank you," Zottos wrote.

The restaurant's final day will be Friday, March 17, and Zottos encouraged customers with gift cards to redeem them in the next week. Details will be posted about refunds.

Zottos announced that the Golden Egg Diner will take over the location.

Debbie & Tom Gosseli, he previous owners of the Golden Egg Diner
Debbie & Tom Gosseli, the previous owners of the Golden Egg Diner (Golden Egg via Facebook)
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A run of bad luck for new owners

The Golden Egg was purchased in February 2020 by Michael Bean & Julie Bean of the Bean Group real estate firm and Tim Maheras, who planned to reopen after a renovation of the kitchen, dining room, and bathrooms.

"We got to work on the project immediately but very quickly ran into a number of issues with the existing kitchen foundation and roof that would need to be addressed prior to installing new systems to bring the kitchen up to current building and health codes," the restaurant wrote on their Facebook page.

As if that weren't enough, then came the pandemic, with seating restrictions and social distancing requirements that were economically impossible for them to comply with.

"As much as it pains us to say, The Golden Egg will not be one of the restaurants that will be re-opening," the diner wrote.

The Golden Egg has been hinting at a reopening on its Facebook page since February, and has shared posts looking to staff.

"We are very excited that the new location of the The Golden Egg Diner will be opening in this location," the Golden Egg wrote.

The Golden Egg didn't give a date of when it will open in the new location.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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