It’s Opa time again!

On March 3, a hood fire started in the kitchen of Birmingham’s beloved Greek Islands Coney Restaurant. Owner John Kostogiannis said he got the call as he was vacationing in the Bahamas. “Fortunately, the Birmingham Fire Marshal happened to be down the street when the fire happened. It took just five minutes for the fire truck to arrive and another five minutes to put out the fire,” he said. Thankfully, nobody was injured and the blaze was contained quickly. Also fortuitously, Greek Islands happens to be a favorite lunch spot for BELFOR team members whose world headquarters is just one block away. BELFOR is the world’s largest disaster recovery and property restoration company. After frequenting the restaurant on a near-daily basis for years, the BELFOR team felt especially called to help the restaurant, whose employees they consider an extended part of the BELFOR family. Sheldon Yellen, CEO of BELFOR, and Kotsogiannis cut a ribbon on May 4 to signify the restaurant has reopened for business and to thank the Birmingham first responders who were called into action during the fire. Customers returning to Greek Islands can expect the same quality service and food as in the past. Opa! 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham greekislandsconey.com