Winsted Diner hosts Christmas charity event

WINSTED — In keeping with the holiday spirit, The Winsted Diner re-opened on Christmas morning, Dec. 25, to hold a charity event in which patrons ate free and donated nearly $1,000.The diner closed in late February 2011 after 80 years in business. The restaurant’s latest owner, Jean Renkowsky, said the closure was due to financial hardships.On Christmas morning, both Jean Renkowsky and her husband, Alex, opened the diner for the charity Feed The Children.“That’s my mother’s favorite charity,” Jean Renkowsky said. “She is terminally ill, so we wanted to do something for Christmas to honor her.”Both Jean and Alex Renkowsky purchased the food to be sold at the diner that day.Neither of them accepted payment or tips for any of the food served.Instead, patrons paid for their meals by making donations in a tip jar at the end of the counter.“We also served free breakfasts to anyone who couldn’t afford it, no questions asked,” Jean Renkowsky said. “The only regret I have is that people could not stay in the diner longer. There was a long line of people waiting to sit down.”In all, she estimates that more than 150 customers were at the diner that morning and that $993.50 was raised for the charity.

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