WASHINGTON — A Northwest DC restaurant has reopened following a horrific accident on Friday.
The Metropolitan Police Department said an elderly driver accidentally drove his car through a group of people who were outside eating at the Parthenon Authentic Greek Cuisine, injuring several people. Two women later died at the hospital.
For 33 years, Parthenon Authentic Greek Cuisine and the Chevy Chase Lounge have been along Connecticut Avenue. Pete Gouskos, the owner, said they have regular customers and that he knows the man who was behind the wheel of the car.
“He's been coming here for 20 years,” he said.
It’s why he knows in his heart, it was truly an accident.
“He was a very nice guy. He comes to the bar, gets a glass of coke and have a hamburger and watches sports,” Gouskos said.
Remnants of the accident still remain. is still in shock at how a beautiful day took such a tragic turn.
“It was the first day we actually had a nice day, people could sit outside and enjoy all the sun on a beautiful day after the rough winter,” Gouskos said.
Parthenon has seen its share of trials because of the pandemic. They were just starting to get back to some sense of normalcy. It’s small trinkets from neighbors that are keeping their spirits high now.
“It's really, really hard, but we have a lot of support from the community. They bring flowers, they bring cards, they, you know, they support us in any way they can.”
Fortunately, the physical damage was minimal and they’ve since reopened their doors. Gouskos said in time, so will their outdoor dining.
“We have people waiting for an hour for a table outside. Might be empty inside, but people are waiting for an hour for a table outside and I don’t think that’s gonna stop me now. This happened, once in a million years. I've been here 33 years and I’ve never had a problem,” he said.