In New Haven, Tears, Free Burgers, Final Grease Sizzles
Landmark diner closes, in dispute with landlord, Yale
Sara Mulligan asked if she could buy the stool on which her boyfriend was sitting when she met him there two years ago at the Copper Kitchen. Buy? responded owner Bill Kalogeridis. Are you kidding? Take it.
In that spirit of generosity Chapel Street’s most beloved greasy spoon prepared and gave away all its food for free from morning till late afternoon Wednesday. When the last grilled cheese and BLT had been plated and slid down the counter, Kalogeridis shut down the grill for the last time after 26 years of operation.
Mulligan came in for one last egg salad sandwich. A Brazilian graduate student came in for two final grilled cheeses, one in the morning, one in the afternoon. Countless others stopped by for coffee, malteds, omelets—most of all for one last tall drink of the breakfast and lunch nook’s homey, loving atmosphere.
“The customers and people kept me here, and I joke with them. This is like my wife, my kids, my home,” said Kalogerides, as tears flowed like the free coffee and malteds and customers and employees old and new kept dropping by to offer their hugs and encouragement.
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