New York. May 11, 2008
Written by Athanasios Aronis.
Edited by Kyriaki Aronis
Photos courtesy of the N.Y. Times
My parents left Erikousa in 1968 and
came to New York to start a new life,
not for them but for their children. In
the 1960 and 70s was the peak of the
immigration tide from Greece and of
course Ereikousa. When my family
arrived in New York we found support
from relatives and friends that were
here before us. Theo Manoli, Thia
Vgero, Thio Christo, Thia Koula,
Theo Tasso, Thia Agathi, Theo
Giorgio, Theo Vasili, kai polous alous.
Back then, the new arrivals had a
support system that the older
imegrnts had put in place for the new.
We stayed in their house until my
father found a job and our own place
which was an apartment on 182nd
street and Grand Concourse.
My father found a job working for a
frankfurter joint on Fordham road and
when a job opened up at the Tell star
restaurant, my Theo Thoma took him
and made him a counterman. My
father was a little luckier than others
because in the 1950’s, he was in San
Francisco for 5 years and he also
spoke some English. My first diner
experience was when my father
started working for my Theo Giorgio
at the Dale restaurant on 231st; I
used to go there after school thinking
that I was helping him with his work.
My father worked there for about 17
years until his retirement. I like to
think that the Dele restaurant was my
kindergarten in the Diner school, my
first grade was at Mike’s donut shop
on 185th street where I worked after
school for about 5 hours a day
making sandwiches and selling them
at the
Written by Athanasios Aronis.
Edited by Kyriaki Aronis
Photos courtesy of the N.Y. Times
My parents left Erikousa in 1968 and
came to New York to start a new life,
not for them but for their children. In
the 1960 and 70s was the peak of the
immigration tide from Greece and of
course Ereikousa. When my family
arrived in New York we found support
from relatives and friends that were
here before us. Theo Manoli, Thia
Vgero, Thio Christo, Thia Koula,
Theo Tasso, Thia Agathi, Theo
Giorgio, Theo Vasili, kai polous alous.
Back then, the new arrivals had a
support system that the older
imegrnts had put in place for the new.
We stayed in their house until my
father found a job and our own place
which was an apartment on 182nd
street and Grand Concourse.
My father found a job working for a
frankfurter joint on Fordham road and
when a job opened up at the Tell star
restaurant, my Theo Thoma took him
and made him a counterman. My
father was a little luckier than others
because in the 1950’s, he was in San
Francisco for 5 years and he also
spoke some English. My first diner
experience was when my father
started working for my Theo Giorgio
at the Dale restaurant on 231st; I
used to go there after school thinking
that I was helping him with his work.
My father worked there for about 17
years until his retirement. I like to
think that the Dele restaurant was my
kindergarten in the Diner school, my
first grade was at Mike’s donut shop
on 185th street where I worked after
school for about 5 hours a day
making sandwiches and selling them
at the
Bronx Community college. I was 13
years old making 1 dollar on hour.
I finished my diner grade school at
the luncheonette at 183rd street and
Grand Concourse working for kirio
Yanni, I was 16. My diner junior high
was at the Plaza restaurant right off
Fordham road and at the Viand
coffee shop on 86th street in
Manhattan, I was 18. My diner High
school was the Gardenia restaurant
on Madison avenue the parkchester
restaurant that my brother Spiro and
his father in law owned on Tremont
avenue in The Bronx, and the
Moshulou restaurant of Yanni Louki
and Mimi Yanimoro on Jerome
avenue, I was 21. My diner collage
and masters was the Astro restaurant
on 55th street and 6th avenue, and
my professors were John Psyllos and
Nick Scadiotis. In 1988, I received my
diner professorship and became a
partner at the Astro. I was 28, and I’m
here ever since.
Now you know why my spelling and
grammar isn’t that great you see the
diner school din’t teach much of that.
I know that I’m not the only Erikousioti
that took this road. Many of my
friends from Ereikousa took the same
road and are all successful with their
own businesses and that is a
testament to the hard work ethic and
the drive to succeed that all
Erikousiotes have.
The Greek Diner/Coffee
shop/Restaurant, was born during the
high of the Greek immigration of the
50s,60s,70s and early 80s. The Diner
employees were all Greek, from the
dishwashers to the owners. There
were no managers at that time the
owners worked from morning to night.
Every business evolves but not as
rapidly as our type of restaurant.
Back in the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s
the middle tier restaurants were
years old making 1 dollar on hour.
I finished my diner grade school at
the luncheonette at 183rd street and
Grand Concourse working for kirio
Yanni, I was 16. My diner junior high
was at the Plaza restaurant right off
Fordham road and at the Viand
coffee shop on 86th street in
Manhattan, I was 18. My diner High
school was the Gardenia restaurant
on Madison avenue the parkchester
restaurant that my brother Spiro and
his father in law owned on Tremont
avenue in The Bronx, and the
Moshulou restaurant of Yanni Louki
and Mimi Yanimoro on Jerome
avenue, I was 21. My diner collage
and masters was the Astro restaurant
on 55th street and 6th avenue, and
my professors were John Psyllos and
Nick Scadiotis. In 1988, I received my
diner professorship and became a
partner at the Astro. I was 28, and I’m
here ever since.
Now you know why my spelling and
grammar isn’t that great you see the
diner school din’t teach much of that.
I know that I’m not the only Erikousioti
that took this road. Many of my
friends from Ereikousa took the same
road and are all successful with their
own businesses and that is a
testament to the hard work ethic and
the drive to succeed that all
Erikousiotes have.
The Greek Diner/Coffee
shop/Restaurant, was born during the
high of the Greek immigration of the
50s,60s,70s and early 80s. The Diner
employees were all Greek, from the
dishwashers to the owners. There
were no managers at that time the
owners worked from morning to night.
Every business evolves but not as
rapidly as our type of restaurant.
Back in the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s
the middle tier restaurants were
Delicatessens, Cafeterias, and coffee
shops and a big percentage were
owned by the Jewish immigrants from
Eastern Europe. When the Greeks
came they started to work in these
stores. When they learned the
business and saved enough money,
they bought their own and in some
cases, they bought the store where
they worked. The Jews educated their
children and they became doctors,
lawyers, teachers, politicians,
stockbrokers and real-estate moguls.
Sounds familiar doesn’t! So the
cafeterias and the delicatessens
became Greek diners and restaurants.
In the 80s, the Greek migration slowed
to trickle and during the 90, was almost
nonexistent. The diner started the 1st
phase of its evolution. The first to go
were the dishwashers. I remember
when my boss was searching all the
employment agencies looking for a
Greek dishwasher to no avail, all the
Greek dishwashers had become
waiters, counterman, cooks or grill
man, so the first Mexican started to
work with us. Then the next to go were
the busboys, they became waiters, the
Greek grill man and cooks well most of
them bought their own restaurants, so
the new immigrant dishwashers
became cooks and grill man like the
Greeks before them. And the
evolutionary process continues. Now
we have reached a point that the only
Greeks in the restaurant are the
owners and a few waiters here and
there. The Greek restaurant owners
have changed as well. Either because
of age or prosperity, we are no longer
diner man, we have become
Managers. We have replaced the
apron for a jacket and a tie, in my case
blue jeans all though I still go in the
kitchen for a couple of hours a day.
After 36 years, it’s hard not to. So the
Greek diner as we know it, will go in
the way of the Jewish Delicatessen and
the cafeteria. I’m sure the diner will not
die it will evolve to fit the next
generation of immigrant owners. The
New York Times last month had article
about this, click here to read the New
York time article.
shops and a big percentage were
owned by the Jewish immigrants from
Eastern Europe. When the Greeks
came they started to work in these
stores. When they learned the
business and saved enough money,
they bought their own and in some
cases, they bought the store where
they worked. The Jews educated their
children and they became doctors,
lawyers, teachers, politicians,
stockbrokers and real-estate moguls.
Sounds familiar doesn’t! So the
cafeterias and the delicatessens
became Greek diners and restaurants.
In the 80s, the Greek migration slowed
to trickle and during the 90, was almost
nonexistent. The diner started the 1st
phase of its evolution. The first to go
were the dishwashers. I remember
when my boss was searching all the
employment agencies looking for a
Greek dishwasher to no avail, all the
Greek dishwashers had become
waiters, counterman, cooks or grill
man, so the first Mexican started to
work with us. Then the next to go were
the busboys, they became waiters, the
Greek grill man and cooks well most of
them bought their own restaurants, so
the new immigrant dishwashers
became cooks and grill man like the
Greeks before them. And the
evolutionary process continues. Now
we have reached a point that the only
Greeks in the restaurant are the
owners and a few waiters here and
there. The Greek restaurant owners
have changed as well. Either because
of age or prosperity, we are no longer
diner man, we have become
Managers. We have replaced the
apron for a jacket and a tie, in my case
blue jeans all though I still go in the
kitchen for a couple of hours a day.
After 36 years, it’s hard not to. So the
Greek diner as we know it, will go in
the way of the Jewish Delicatessen and
the cafeteria. I’m sure the diner will not
die it will evolve to fit the next
generation of immigrant owners. The
New York Times last month had article
about this, click here to read the New
York time article.
