Parade Pizza to open in downtown building that housed Captain's for years
New London — Parade Pizza will be the new name for the former Captain's Pizza restaurant that thrived for more than a quarter century on Bank Street before limping to an ignominious end in its fourth decade with a foreclosure last year.
Kelly Anne Hulse, owner of the next-door Y-Knot Cafe, has signed a one-year lease on the building at 8 Bank St., deciding to change the name to reflect the restaurant's location next to Parade Plaza. The nearly 100-seat eatery in downtown, a former dining hot spot, will open March 1.
Reid Burdick, the city's former parking commissioner, suggested the name Parade Cafe initially, and city economic development coordinator Ned Hammond later amended the idea, Hulse said, by offering up Parade Pizza as a possibility, considering the eatery would not be a coffee shop or bar.
"It needs a fresh start," Hulse said Tuesday during an interview at the Y-Knot. "As far as I'm concerned, the name died when Charlie died."
Hulse was referring to the late Konstantinos "Charlie" Papathanasiou, a legendary local restaurateur of Greek descent who opened Captain's Pizza with his parents in the mid-1970s before retiring in 2003, handing off the restaurant name to a series of owners who never quite found the same success.
Greg Robinson, the last of the Captain's Pizza owners, seemed to have revived Charlie's tradition of good food and a welcoming atmosphere when he opened with the former owner's blessing in 2010, but he couldn't maintain early momentum, and the building that he later bought eventually went into foreclosure. It is now owned by downtown real estate investor Bill Cornish.
"I've been trying to get a bigger spot for four years now," Hulse said. "It's going to make or break me. I hope this town supports me."
Hulse, former owner of Kelly's on Bank eatery across the street in the space now occupied by the Lazy Leopard restaurant, said her new place will feature pizzas and grinders, incorporating much of the traditional Captain's fare. In addition, she plans new offerings of grilled sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups and homemade desserts.
She plans to have a quiet beginning, hosting a grand opening sometime after St. Patrick's Day. The restaurant, starting with four employees along with herself and daughter Marah Kruszewski, will offer a delivery service early on, with a liquor license and catering to come later.
The restaurant will open at 11 a.m. seven days a week, closing at 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, while staying open until 2 a.m. on the weekends. Hulse said she would be concentrating on building the restaurant business as dependable employees next-door take care of her loyal Y-Knot bar customers.
"It's my intention to stay here for 10 years," Hulse said of her new venture.
l.howard@theday.com
Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow
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