Slavic Village Staple Red Chimney Relocating to Parma After Fire

In a devastating blow to the Slavic Village community, it was revealed today that the Red Chimney restaurant will not be reopening in that neighborhood – at least not in the foreseeable future. The Eastern European diner has been closed since this past summer, when a fire caused significant damage to the property.

At that time, the families that run the beloved restaurant vowed to rebuild and reopen, but plans have changed. In an announcement that Pappou’s Restaurant (8320 Snow Rd.) in Parma would be closing, those owners broke the news that the space would soon have a new tenant: Red Chimney.

“We weren’t expecting for this all to get out there, but you can’t control the timing of everything” says Red Chimney spokesperson Manny Skantzos, adding that the deal technically is still in the works.

Skantzos, whose father and uncle purchased the Red Chimney in 1999, says that the family had every intention of rebuilding, but as the months stretched on and the estimates climbed higher, it became clear that other options would need to be pursued.

“We weren’t set on leaving Slavic Village, it was just the restraints on what the insurance would cover on that building and the time restraints on how long we could afford to be closed,” he explains. “You’re kind of dealt these hands in life. You have to do what you can.”

Skantzos said that the new property is appealing for a number of reasons, including its location, condition and price.

“It was something we could afford, you know,” he says.

Assuming everything plays out as expected, the new Red Chimney will open in the coming weeks. When it does, longtime customers will be able to enjoy classics like chicken noodle soup, stuffed cabbage, pierogi, kielbasa and other staples. But the menu, like the restaurant itself, might go through some transformations, says Skantzos.

“We want to keep what made the Red Chimney the Red Chimney but also try and improve on it,” he says.

And to those in and around the old neighborhood who have grieved the unexpected and extended absence, Skantzos says that a return to Fleet Avenue is not out of the realm of possibility.

“We’re not through exploring the possibility of returning to Slavic Village,” he states.

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