As Corporations Move in, The Jackson House Restaurant Remains a Favorite for Patrons
By Caleigh Leonard and Nate Meyers
JACKSON HEIGHTS — The influx of chain stores are a challenge to many merchants in neighborhoods like Jackson Heights. They worry when a Duane Reade or a Payless moves into the area. But Angelo Theodosiou, the co-owner of the Jackson House Restaurant in Jackson Heights, Queens, is confident that his diner will survive, whatever competition comes his way.
“This will last, no matter how many Starbucks, Taco Bells, or Burger Kings open in this area,” Mr. Theodosiou, 56, said.“People enjoy old-world American diner food, no matter what.”
His customers seem to agree. People return regularly for the comforting, family-style vibe. “This restaurant gives me a sense of community, I say hello to all the people. It’s my little second home,” said Joan Shea, who declined to give her age, a regular to the diner for over 10 years. “I order a hamburger onWednesday. Eggs in the morning. Pot roast on Thursday.”
Fernando Velazquez, 36, feels at home there as well. He loves the environment and knows all the waiters and the owners. “In 10 years,” he said, “my children will remember their first time here.”
Jackson Heights is home to different cultures and nationalities; Mr. Theodosiou, originally from Greece, said he can relate, “no question,” to the Latino and South Asian residents who dominate the neighborhood.
At the age of 9, Mr. Theodosiou’s family moved to the United States from Galatsi, a suburb of Athens. His parents hoped to provide him and his brother with, “a better life, not that our life was bad, but there are more opportunities here.”
The Theodosiou family has been running diners since they moved to the United States in 1970. Mr. Theodosiou’s uncle had opened The Wellington, a diner on 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan and needed help with the business. Once Mr. Theodosiou and his family arrived in New York, Mr. Theodosiou’s father went to work at the family diner, while his mother worked at Eagle Electric, a factory that produced light switches.
Faced with new culture and a language he did not understand, young Mr. Theodosiou met several hardships. “It was tough in the beginning,” he said, explaining the discrimination he faced from children in his neighborhood. During his first Halloween in the United States, a group of children chased him home and pelted him with eggs. Classmates referred to him as “Greek” rather than his name, and never included him in group activities.
School was a challenge, too, at first; Mr. Theodosiou didn’t understand English, and had to repeat the third grade.
“Within a matter of seven months, I spoke fluent English,” he said.“Coming from another country gave [me] an incentive,” he added referring to his work ethic.
Mr. Theodosiou has been working shifts in the family diner since he was 12. “When my friends were out playing, I was working,” he said. Although he could not go out and play with his friends, he sees the positive aspects of starting work early in life. “My work ethic was distilled from my family diner,” he said.
In 1990, after working at his family diner for eight years, Mr. Theodosiou and his brother Nick decided to start their own business. They knew that Jackson Heights had a bustling residential and commercial life, making it a prime candidate. They staked out several locations throughout the boroughs and Long Island, then found themselves in front of Jackson House. “I sat across the street in my car and watched the traffic coming in and out of the restaurant,” Mr. Theodosiou said.
After purchasing the restaurant, Mr. Theodosiou and his brother decided to keep the original Jackson House name. At first, owning the restaurant was a struggle financially, so they were unable to renovate the old wood paneling and dim lighting until 1996. Their new, modern look resulted in an influx of customers and sales. On a typical weekend, lines are out the door.
“The diner business is very, very tough. You have to work weekends and holidays that people working in an office might not need to,” Mr. Theodosiou said. When he first purchased the Jackson House restaurant, there were few large corporations such as McDonald’s or Dunkin Doughnuts in Jackson Heights. Over the past couple of years, however, large chains began to dominate the local businesses; despite the tension, the Jackson House diner has been a neighborhood staple for nearly 30 years.
Mary Ann Spitz, 66, has been a server at the Jackson House Restaurant for 27 years. At the time of her hiring, “there was more Americans than Hispanics, but over time this began to change.” According to a report by the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies (CLACLS) at the City University of New York, the Latino population jumped from 44.4 percent in 1990 to 62.3 percent in 2006. “I am proud of how this neighborhood has grown and prospered,” said Mr. Theodosiou.
While the diner business might be tough, the environment at Jackson House makes the hard work worth it. “This is a family-style place,” he said. “Everyone is family. It might sound corny, but it’s really true.”
