After a year of being closed, the longtime Short Stacks diner in downtown Algonquin has reopened with new owners but the same classic menu.

Short Stacks reopened quietly at the end of May, just over a year after the beloved diner abruptly closed. The breakfast-and-lunch restaurant, located at 208 Main St., was previously owned and operated by Donald Peters and his family. The closure came after Peters’ unexpected death on May 21, 2025, at the age of 68.

He and his wife were also the owners of Algonquin Accounting Service, Inc. for over three decades, and operated Short Stacks for 17 years, according to Peters’ obituary.

Tony Bellino, a longtime friend of Peters and a real estate broker, stepped in to reopen the restaurant. Bellino was the original owner of the diner about 20 years ago, before Peters bought the business from him.

“It’s certainly a business venture, but it’s also a labor of love because I want to keep that restaurant on Main Street and I want to keep the history,” he said.

Bellino said he keeps Peters’ legacy alive through the restaurant by telling customers about him.

“I always mention his name,” he said. “I think that’s the way I keep him alive.”

Most everything in the diner remains the same, from the interiors to the menu. Only the kitchen was upgraded, and new lunch items have been added, like paninis, smash burgers and steak sandwiches.

“If you walk down Main Street at 1 o’clock in the afternoon, there’s nobody open for lunch,” Bellino said.

Also new to Short Stacks is the addition of fish fry Fridays from 4 to 9 p.m.

Restaurants in downtown Algonquin are not new to Bellino. Besides his past involvement with the diner, he also previously owned the original Cattleman’s Burger and Brew and Bellino’s Steak and Martini Bar, where Bold American Fare is today.

A customer favorite on the Short Stacks menu is the “belt buster,” which offers a little bit of everything. Bellino recommends the omelets, which he describes as “big and fluffy.”

“These won’t disappoint anyone,” he said.

More details on the diner can be found on its Facebook page, facebook.com/ShortStacksAlgonquin.