TOLEDO, Ohio — A new restaurant is opening in west Toledo that caters to the night owls looking to fill their stomachs after dark.
When the sun sets, the Night Owl Diner opens, literally. Starting on Nov. 22, from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday to Sunday, guests can get a full meal, something sweet and some conversation.
The restaurant's owners said the idea of a late-night diner came from their work in the restaurant industry.
"We've been every night, going through not having anywhere to eat after 10 p.m.," co-owner Andreas Kamilaris said. "By the time everything closes up at midnight, there's really nothing left and we've been staring at this building for quite some time now."
The building at 3243 W. Sylvania Ave. used to be home to the Rise 'n Grind restaurant, and before that, it was an A&W.
But brothers Andreas and Marios Kamilaris, and Tony Kutaish, all co-owners, wanted to bring a new experience to the well-known spot.
Its hours of operation make it niche, but necessary, they said.
"There were several options once upon a time, but it seems as though over time a lot of those places weren't getting the staffing they needed, closing the kitchen early especially what happened after what happened in (the COVID-19 pandemic in) 2020," Kutaish said. "The landscape of restaurants really changed."
But Kamilaris and Kutaish want to change the industry back by serving groups of people who are often left out.
"Really, who we're catering to is all the people who work late in different kinds of industries here," Kutaish said. "People at Jeep, we've got two hospitals here, University of Toledo down the street, so there's a lot of people who seem to be forgotten about at those hours, and also law enforcement."
The hours are just one feature of the restaurant. A dining establishment wouldn't be a dining establishment without food on the menu.
Night Owl Diner will serve meals ranging from flatbreads to omelets.
"Everybody said there's not a lot of places that are open late at night and if there is, it's fast food and not everybody wants greasy fast-food late at night. They want something that will be good quality food, and an environment where they can hang out or they can take it home," Marios said.
And no matter who you are, they want you to feel at home.
"It's got a very cozy feeling, especially when the sun goes down," Kutaish said. "We're making it a bit of an escape late at night, somewhere to come and relax and let your guard down a bit."