Changing of the Guard at Tom's
Gus Vlahadhas, the longtime owner of Tom’s Restaurant on Washington Avenue, is no longer running the show at the beloved greasy spoon. As of early June the business was handed down to Jim, Gus’s nephew. Now that Jim is at the helm he says there is a big change on tap: By October, the restaurant…
Gus Vlahadhas, the longtime owner of Tom’s Restaurant on Washington Avenue, is no longer running the show at the beloved greasy spoon. As of early June the business was handed down to Jim, Gus’s nephew. Now that Jim is at the helm he says there is a big change on tap: By October, the restaurant plans to start opening on Sundays. Jim says a few factors contributed to Gus’s retirement, among them the desire to spend more time with his wife, who is suffering from arthritis, and the fact that Gus wanted to start opening on Sundays (“it’s always been the biggest complaint people had about us”) but didn’t have the energy/resources to implement a seven-days-a-week schedule. Gus’s father Tom opened the diner in 1936.
ROTD: Tom’s Restaurant [Brownstoner] GMAP
Inset photo of Gus by zoobuffalo.
Jim, the new owner of Tom’s, is pictured at left.
I’ll never understand why people rave about this place. The owners and decor, sure, but the food? Terrible!
Love Gus. Love Tom’s. I always remember the story — apocryphal or true, who knows? — that when MLK Jr. was assasinated and Prospect Heights was in flames, neighbors black and white formed a human chain to protect the restaurant.
Nice guy, wish him well. Hope that his successor continues to give out cookies as appetizers…the best idea in the world.
Gus – the man, the restaurant, the legend.
Glad Tom’s will still be in the family.
We’ll miss you, Gus!
gus,
you have been a constant for me since 1987. sad to see you go.
jim seemed nice enough last time. he sure has some big shoes to fill.
May he have a happy retirement – Gus is an authentic Brooklyn treasure.