BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Towne Restaurant, a longtime staple at the crossroads of Buffalo's Allentown neighborhood, has suddenly shut down for good with no notice to employees.
In a letter shared with 7 News, co-owner Eleni Konstantopulous, daughter of the late co-founder George Scouras, apologizes to staff for "the sudden closure of the restaurant" on Monday.
"There were several factors that played into our decision to close and end operations at the restaurant," the letter said. "We apologize for not notifying the closure at an earlier date. We would like to thank each of you for your dedication to our restaurant while you were our employee."
Neither Konstantopulous nor her brother, who co-owned the restaurant with her, had any further comment. A sign on the door reads "Temporarily closed during construction."
The intersection of Allen and Elmwood has once again been closed to traffic as part of Phase II of the Allen Street Complete Project. It is expected to remain closed through August.
Towne was founded in 1972 at Elmwood and Allen by Scouras and his brother Peter, "two brothers of Greek descent" who "fled war-torn Europe to the United States" in 1951, according to Towne's website. The brothers founded Bison Painting and Decorating before later opening Towne Red Hots. The name was later changed to The Towne Restaurant.
"Since then, the businesses have flourished, and passed down to the next generation of the family, George’s children; Paul, Dino, Eleni and Artemis. Continuing their family’s legacy, the siblings have continued to run the businesses and innovate just as their parents before them did," according to the restaurant's site.
Towne catered to a diverse clientele at its high-profile corner, from the breakfast crowd, to theater patrons looking for a bite to eat before the show, to a loyal late-night crowd looking to fill their stomachs after a night out on Allen Street. The restaurant had scaled back its hours significantly in recent years.
