BY JOHN DUNPHY
Staff Writer
JOHN DUNPHY The recently opened Sayreville Family Restaurant, Fisher Street, represents the third establishment run by the nephew-uncle team of Tommy Diakos and Billy Tsapoukis. SAYREVILLE — They’re living the American dream.
Through humble beginnings and hard work, two area restaurateurs have recently unveiled their newest establishment, the Sayreville Family Restaurant on Fisher Street.
When Tommy Diakos and his uncle, Billy Tsapoukis, moved with their family from Greece to the United States in the 1970s, none of them could speak English. With few skills, they made ends meet doing various odd jobs, including dish washing and line cooking.
“We were all poor,” Diakos said. “We had to work to get where we are. No one gave us anything.”
Diakos’ parents opened their first restaurant, the Queen Elizabeth, in Elizabeth once they were able to save enough money.
The Sayreville Family Restaurant is Diakos and Tsapoukis’ third restaurant, and second currently in operation. The Spotswood Family Restaurant, their other location, has been in business for several years. The Jernee Mill Inn on Jernee Mill Road was sold six years ago.
Both Diakos and Tsapoukis worked at the Queen Elizabeth for many years before they decided to venture out on their own.
“When [the family] opened the restaurant, they brought us all in,” Diakos said. “It was a lot of work.”
When asked why the two decided to add “business owner” to the already long list of duties needed to maintain a successful restaurant, Tsapoukis said it was simply what they knew how to do.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s what we’ve learned and that’s why we stuck with it,” he added.
The hard work has paid off. In 2002, Diakos moved his family from northern New Jersey to a new home in the Parlin section of Sayreville.
“When my family first came here, we were all poor. Now I have my own home and two restaurants,” Diakos said. “We’re doing OK now.”
While Diakos conducts more of the business end of duties, Tsapoukis prefers to get his hands a little dirty.
“Billy is the hard worker. If we don’t have a cook, he’ll cook,” Diakos said. “Me, I’ll pay the bills and tell everyone what needs to be done.”
Tsapoukis, a quiet but omnipresent figure at the restaurant, prefers to let his actions speak louder than his words.
“Talk is a waste of time,” he said.
During its first two months in operation, the business has brought in a number of familiar faces to get it off the ground.
Nick Frangos and Dominick Gatoulis are longtime friends of the family, from the time they lived on the Greek island of Karpathos. Now, they’re managers at the restaurant.
“The people are very nice in this area; there’s a lot of seniors,” Gatoulis said. “I like to make them feel happy, because I’ll be a senior myself pretty soon.”
Gina Chrysanthopoulos, a waitress at the restaurant who also works as a fourth-grade teacher in Elizabeth, said she enjoys the atmosphere at the Sayreville establishment.
“The bosses are great,” she said. “They treat us well. They’re down to Earth.”
During the grand opening in April, Tsapoukis said there were long lines and sometimes longer waits, something he said should have been handled better.
“We try to do the best we can to help the people,” he said. “It wasn’t right, but everything’s settled down now.”
Chrysanthopoulos said a large volume of customers comes just from being a new business in town.
“It was expected, but I think it all worked out pretty well,” she said. “Once things fell into place, it was smooth sailing.”
Diakos and Tsapoukis said they’ll continue to build their new business and put their money where their mouths are by putting quality food into the mouths of their patrons.
“Our food is good and our prices are very reasonable,” Diakos said. “We also know a lot of the customers here [who went to the Jernee Mill Inn]. So, that helps.”
A United States citizen since 1968, Gatoulis said he is thankful for the successes his family and friends enjoy, and for what America has made available.
“I really appreciate this country. It educated my children,” he said. “It’s the country of opportunities if you’re willing to work.”