Six Three One Diner Won't Reopen; New Eatery Slated For Spot

SOUTHOLD, NY — Almost four years after opening the doors of the Six Three One Diner on Route 25 in Southold, owner Pat Dellaportas confirmed Friday that the eatery will not be back this season.

In an interview with Patch Friday, Dellaportas said she will rent the space to another eatery. Currently, there's a deal on the table with two local men who have extensive diner backgrounds who, if all goes as planned, will open this summer with the same diner feel, along with Spanish additions to the menu.

The decision not to open was bittersweet for Dellaportas.

"I'm very sad. I want to cry every time I think about it. I absolutely love this place," she said. But, she added, finding reliable, consistent help is difficult, especially since she and her family own the popular Bel-Aire Diner in Queens and run that operation year round.

As a tourist destination, Dellaportas said she needed help that would work weekends and holidays, but found it difficult to secure.

While it's not a "done deal" yet, Dellaportas said details about the new operators will likely be divulged in the coming days. And whoever rents the restaurant, Dellaportas, who has a home in East Marion, said she will be a loyal customer, supporting the new business.

Of Six Three One, she said, "It was my heart and soul."

And customers will be sad, she predicted, with hundreds of calls already coming for reservations.

The former restaurant at the site, JD Steakhouse, closed in 2012. The site was the longtime home of the Sea Shell before JD Steakhouse opened in 2010.

The building measures 2,200 square feet and holds outdoor seating space, too. Cimino's Restaurant, an Italian eatery, also operated in the space between its incarnations as steakhouse and seafood restaurants.