CT restaurant reveals ‘sacrifice’ for special neighbors by closing ‘at its peak.’ And a hope to move

Yes, there are restaurants across Connecticut that are closing because of lagging business or changing tastes.

But in the case of J Restaurant Bar’s closure, they are actually, “on top of our game,” said owner Jordan Dikegoros.

“It’s nice to jump out on top,” he said. “Our business is at its peak, which makes it that much harder.”

They’re jumping out now, for the sake of the children at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, but are also shopping for a new location.

This week the restaurant of 54 years, an “oasis” to hospital visitors and staff-announced their closure for July 3 to make way for a parking garage to serve CCMC, located across the street.

The plan was in place three years ago and Dikegoros said he received a “fair deal” to sell four parcels.

But as closure time draws near, it’s “bittersweet,” not because of potential lost profit, but because of the close connections he’s made with the hospital and families whose children are being treated across the street at the children’s hospital. In addition, plenty of visitors come from Hartford Hospital, also across the street, Dikegoros said.

“It’s so much more than a restaurant,” Dikegoros said. “We’re an oasis for families. “We’re not pushing specials. We’re comforting them by giving them a place to escape reality for half an hour.”

Yes, the casual restaurant has pizza, Italian dishes, steak, seafood, and sandwiches.

But there were also lots of hugs that came with many customers who shared their poignant stories and deepest feelings. Dikegoros said they ate, returned, often with the healed child, and in some cases he’s become personal friends.

John Caezza and his wife, Dianne, of Farmington were at CCMC for two stints, 10 months at a time while their son was being treated.

“I struggle to call it a restaurant because it’s so much more,” John Caezza said. “The community and the city are losing a true gem.”

The Caezzas ate at J Restaurant Bar every night during their stay except Sundays, as the eatery was closed. John Caezza said no matter how hard one tries, there’s no hiding the lanyard hospital pass for returning visitors.

Dikegoros would connect families with one another to share stories, know they weren’t alone; seat them in a quiet spot for privacy if they needed it, listened to stories. In the case of the Caezzas who were there so often, if they were looking for something new on the menu, the restaurant would make anything they wanted, John Caezza said.

As for location, John Caezza said it was comforting to know they could “escape” for an hour or two with their son right across the street.

“It’s just the environment they created,” he said. “My wife and I would have gone insane if it wasn’t for that place. It’s a special place.”

Caezza said that with all the hours spent there he witnessed so many acts of kindness on the restaurant’s part, including donating hundreds of pizzas to the hospital and emergency first responders.

At some point the restaurant even constructed a New Year’s Eve Ball to “drop” for the kids across the street during the holiday.

The restaurant has been in the family for 54 years, open originally as Pizza Plus. The name changed in 2007 and Dikegoros has been running it for 37 years. The “J” in the name is for Jordan.

He said they have a great relationship with the hospital, its employees and patient visitors.

Dikegoros said he made a promise years ago to a former CCMC CEO, “When you guys expand I’ll be here for you.”

By selling the properties to LAZ parking for the parking garage, he is making good on that promise.

“We sacrificed for the children’s hospital…They’ve been great neighbors,” he said, noting there was really nowhere else to put the garage that will add 910 spaces.

“As the time is winding down, it’s getting a little emotional,” Dikegoros said.

While the COVID-19 pandemic killed many restaurant businesses, they never closed and the restaurant thrived, Dikegoros said.

Early on in the pandemic they created an outdoor eating area. At the peak they provided individual meals to go for hospital staff funded by donations, including some of their own. The business uptick never stopped, he said.

Dikegoros said they are hoping to reopen on the first floor of the parking garage, but that’s at least two years out until it’s built. They are currently located at 297 Washington St.

Meanwhile, they’ve been shopping for another location in the same Frog Hollow neighborhood as well as in suburbs so they can open sooner.

It could result in two J Restaurant Bar establishments, he said.

Earlier last year, Connecticut Children’s held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $326 million clinical tower, the largest expansion to the hospital since construction began on the current building in 1994.

As part of the expansion, the hospital teamed up with LAZ parking to construct a new parking garage and pedestrian walkway, to accommodate for the increased traffic.

The restaurant announced on Facebook this week that they will have a final full dinner service on June 29. July 1, 2, 3rd will be modified hours and menus.