After 20 months, Peter Pan Diner set to reopen in Bay Shore

He picked up a tennis racket, learned to play bass and even joined a rock band.

But after 20 months away from the kitchen, Peter Lentzeres says he’s more than ready to get back to the thing he loves most — running the Peter Pan Diner in Bay Shore.

The longtime local landmark is set to reopen early this coming week following a 20-month closure caused by a July 2024 kitchen fire that forced the diner to close.

“I’m opening. I can’t anymore,” Lentzeres told Greater Long Island on Saturday with a laugh. “It’s been 20 months and I gotta open.”

The early-morning blaze in July 2024 started in the diner’s kitchen and caused extensive smoke and water damage throughout the building, prompting a large multi-department response. The diner — a fixture on the north side of Sunrise Highway since the 1950s — had never previously closed for such a long stretch.

The renovation transformed nearly every part of the building. Bathrooms, kitchen equipment, basement systems, electrical work and air conditioning were all replaced or rebuilt. Outside, new lighting and signage greet customers returning to the property.

Even the iconic Peter Pan figure on the building has a personal update.

“That’s my grandson’s face,” Lentzeres said, referring to the new sign modeled after his 3-year-old grandson George.

Inside, diners will find a completely refreshed look that blends a classic diner with elements of a café and restaurant.

“It’s still totally identifiable as a diner,” Lentzeres said. “But people are going to be surprised when they walk in.”

The diner will reopen with both longtime staples and several new menu items, including bowls such as tropical salmon with mango salsa and avocado, Greek lemon chicken with olives and tomatoes, and a seafood bowl with shrimp and salmon. Other additions include smoked salmon eggs Benedict, wraps, tacos, fajitas and loaded double smash burgers.

A new bar will feature signature cocktails, while a coffee bar will offer specialty drinks alongside an ice cream menu.

The reopening also brings back dozens of jobs. Lentzeres said the diner will employ between 65 and 75 people, including the entire kitchen staff, which has returned.

“A lot of my service staff came back too,” he said. “Some people went to hospitals, schools, FedEx, other restaurants. Twenty months is a long time.”

During the closure, Lentzeres also found himself rediscovering life outside the diner.

A longtime guitar player, he decided to try something new when a group of local musicians needed a bass player for a band.

“I ran to Guitar Center, bought a bass and taught myself how to play it in five days,” he said.

The band, called The Petty Rockers, started out as a Tom Petty tribute group before expanding into classic rock. They’ve already played several local gigs, including performances at bars in and around Bay Shore and Brightwaters.

Lentzeres also spent more time around town, playing tennis at a local club and meeting new friends while reconnecting with longtime ones.

“I didn’t realize how many people I knew and how many friends I had,” he said. “I got to know the restaurant owners, the bar owners. I started spending time in Bay Shore, West Islip, Babylon Village.”

The unexpected break gave him a rare chance to slow down — something that doesn’t often happen for a diner owner who acknowledges that he’s usually a micromanager.

Still, he says the diner was never far from his mind.

“I love what I do,” he said. “I really love it with a passion.”

_{Top: Photos taken by Mike White}