By Sharon Challenger
(July 18, 2025) — I recently heard about Dino’s Pizza Restaurant closing from my daughter-in-law who lives in Norwalk. She had read the Facebook post that appeared last week and was sad to hear this news. She quickly reached out to me to share the news as I had not heard about it.
Each year my grandchildren come to spend time at our home and their annual ritual includes going to have a meal at Dino’s. Their favorites included chicken tenders, pizza, cheeseburgers, and French fries.
To their delight Dino would stop by to chat with us and ask how they were doing. He would always comment on how much they had grown. Upon leaving he would let them have an ice cream of their choice from his freezer. They were always so happy to get an additional treat.
Reading the comments from the people who were loyal followers of Dino’s, reminded me of the time when Dino and his wife Stella worked tirelessly to help feed our community during a power outage caused by a winter storm.
Winter storms in Connecticut can be quite treacherous, and residents often lose power. This was the case for our quiet small town on March 2, 2018. Winter Storm Riley ripped through Higganum, toppling large trees, ripping out power lines and snapping utility poles.
When the storm hit, Dino and his wife Stella were busy prepping meals for the day. They had no idea what the day would bring about.
Dino and Stella responded to the crisis without hesitation. Their generosity moved me deeply and I decided to write an article for HK-News to honor them (see below).
A typical Friday morning for Dino and Stella Meleounis of Dino’s Pizza Restaurant on Route 81 in Higganum usually begins at 9:00 a.m. They arrive and begin prepping food for the days and evenings ahead.
However, Friday March 2, 2018, would not be a typical Friday for Dino at all. At approximately 1:00 p.m. the gusting winds of Winter storm Riley took down a large tree, two doors down the street from Dino’s. The tree landed on the major power lines and snapped the utility pole off, causing power outages for residents and businesses for miles around.
Did Dino close his restaurant and go home? No Way! He and his wife and staff continued to cook and serve their customers for hours afterwards. When daylight no longer served them, they cooked by lantern light. With the help of a generator for the refrigerators, and lanterns, they continued to serve meals until 8:30 that evening.
Thank you, Dino, Stella, and staff for being there when the going gets tough!
Photo by Sharon Challenger
Thank you for this tribute to Stella and Dino. Yes, it is a loss to us all who frequented the restaurant, but it is now their time to begin a normal life and retirement. Best wishes to them.