Restaurant That Rose Again After Fire Closes Quietly

RIVERHEAD, NY — It's a sight that brings sadness, a restaurant that stood as a veritable phoenix of hope rising from the proverbial ashes on Main Street in Riverhead, now closed since fall.

Mazi opened in 2015 after a fire raged through the Athens Grill on East Main Street in Riverhead in 2013, gutting the business and giving owner John Mantzopoulos time to take stock and reflect on his life.

The story of the eatery's rebirth stood as a testament to the Riverhead community, which gathered both on the night of the fire, to lend comfort and support, and hosted fundraisers to help their friend Mantzopoulos, a pillar in the community, get back on his feet.

When asked this week why the eatery shuttered, and what plans he might have moving forward, Mantzopoulos said simply, "No comment."

But his story remains one of inspiration, a story of one small business owner's dream, and the loyalty of a community that stood ready to help.

When it reopened, Mazi was a sleek space, offering cutting edge Mediterranean fare with deep roots in Greece, and garnering top-notch reviews from its loyal customers.

His scores of loyal patrons had praise for Mazi, and for Mantzopoulos: His focus on only the freshest, most local food harkened back to Mantzopoulos' roots, firmly entrenched in rich Greek soil. Born in Athens, Mantzopoulos said he was "the last of the Mohicans," one of the last waves of Greek immigrants to seek new paths in the United States; the numbers peaked, he said, in the 80s.

From the time he arrived in Riverhead in 2004 and bought the restaurant, as a chef, Mantzopoulos poured his heart into every dish.

"I can never look at the business just as a business," he said. "You get to know the customers. It's something that's embedded in your character and your soul. You put your heart into it. I might not be a decorated chef at a four-star restaurant, but I cook for people."

Riverhead, he said in 2013, opened its hearts to him after the fire with fundraisers, something for which he will be forever grateful.

He discussed, in that 2013 interview, the face of downtown revitalization."It's a hard gig here on Main Street," he said.

Patch photos by Lisa Finn.