Dreams, Sunny Side Up: Red Colony Diner Reopens In Brookfield

BROOKFIELD, CT — If your heart is aching for a return to normalcy, some indication of corners turned and brighter days on the verge of dawning, look no further than the reopening of the Red Colony Diner at its original location on Federal Road.

The Red Colony first opened in 1968. The owner, Jimmy Vlamis, sold it to Eddie Marnelakis in 1973. Marnelakis sold it to two years later and bought another of Vlamis' diners, the Blue Colony, which still operates in Newtown. It went through its Five Guys phase around 13 years ago, and then became Frank's Diner. The reopened Red Colony is owned by Eddie's son George, and managed by Jimmy's son, John. George said he jumped at the chance

George, who lives in Southbury, said he and John began laying plans for the diner's reopening well before the start of the pandemic, which put the dream on hold.

The Brookfield Economic Development Commission cut the blue ribbon on Jan. 28, and business has been brisk ever since.

More than merely a joint to grab breakfast any hour of the day, a diner is first and foremost "a gathering place," Marnelakis, 54, told Patch. "People like to socialize, and that's why diners have been hit pretty hard with COVID."

The Red Colony Diner, like all eateries in the state, is operating at 50 percent capacity. It also won't be open 24 hours, as all good diners are, until that restriction is lifted.

Currently, the Red Colony Diner is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 121 Federal Road in Brookfield.