Montgomery bids farewell to Flip’s today

Jan. 31--After more than two decades in business, Flip's Uptown Grill will serve its last burger today.

The locally owned restaurant weathered the economic downturn, but owner Philip Philippou said an October fire at the Atlanta Highway location was its downfall. That location has been closed since then, and Philippou said he's now closing the Sturbridge Village location on Vaughn Road because of sky-high insurance rates caused by the fire.

"We needed to stop the bleeding somehow," he said.

Three juveniles were arrested by Montgomery police in November and accused with setting the fire to cover up a burglary. It heavily damaged the kitchen and left much of the restaurant gutted.

"It is a little tough in that my kids grew up in this place," Philippou said after the fire.

He said another restaurant already has signed a deal to lease the property at Vaughn and Taylor roads. Flip's currently has 12 employees, and the new tenant "has expressed interest in interviewing my entire team," Philippou said.

On Thursday, those employees had their hands full with a wave of customers who streamed in after hearing that it would close.

"We've been covered up all morning," Philippou said. "We expect another big crowd tomorrow."

Flip's became a fixture in the community not just with its array of traditional grill fare such as sandwiches, fries and shakes, but by hosting events such as "cruise-ins" for classic car enthusiasts.

The restaurant celebrated its 20th anniversary in December.

"We appreciate 20-plus years of loyal patronage, and we'll miss everyone a lot," Philippou said.

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