'Everybody's getting too old': Saskatoon's iconic Blue Diamond restaurant is up for sale

One of the owners of Saskatoon’s iconic diamond-shaped restaurant says his family is looking to sell the business and building because “everybody’s getting too old.”

The Blue Diamond, a spacious and kitschy Greek family restaurant that’s been a Saskatoon staple for decades, has been up for sale for about a year, according to Gus Katsiris, whose father George opened it after coming to Canada from Greece in the 80s.

He says they’ve had a good run, and served many great regulars, but it’s time to move on.

(Source: Realtor.ca)

“Like, my father is 80-years-old. The rest of the staff are in their late 60s, you know what I mean? And it’s hard to find staff,” Katsiris told CTV News on Tuesday.

Katsiris says his dad George was a bricklayer in Greece before he emigrated to Canada. His brothers owned a couple restaurants and after working with them for a while, he decided to open his own.

It takes a lot to keep a restaurant running, and Katsiris says George is still putting in long hours.

“He’s here with me every day. Oh yeah, he’s putting in like 14 hours a day — almost 80-year-old,” says Katsiris.

He says they’re looking to sell the restaurant as a turnkey business, along with the building that has one tenant, and one vacant commercial bay.

(Source: Realtor.ca)

The price to own a 12,000-square-foot piece of Saskatoon history? Just over $1.8 million, according to the real estate listing.

“Situated in a prime location, this turnkey opportunity includes the land, building, and the well-established business, all for just $1,849,900. Main floor is operating as a lounge business including 13 VLT's. The main level also has two separate bays, one currently tenant occupied, and one vacant bay. Building has recently been freshly painted,” the listing description says.

Katsiris says he’s hesitant to plan for what he’ll do if and when they sell the business, but “for sure, I’m gonna take a few months off, relax and enjoy my family.”

Until then, the Katsiris family has a restaurant to run.