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By Sharon Lewis
Demetrios Anagnostos is a remarkable man. Anagnostos, or Jim as he is more widely known, came to Cleveland, Ohio, on February 8, 1960. He owns Diner On 55th in the city’s St. Clair Superior neighborhood, just east of downtown. Since then, he has married, raised a family, run a catering business, opened three restaurants, and built a community.
Anagnostos immigrated to the United States from Saint Dimitrios Nafpaktos, in Greece. He has lived in Cleveland for 64 years and considers it home.
Anagnostos’s life in Greece was a testament to his resilience. Born in 1939, he endured the hardships of World War II, Greece’s war with Italy, and the Civil War in Greece from 1946 to 1949. War devastated the country and resources were scarce. Anagnostos emerged not just as a survivor, but as an overcomer.
When asked why he came to the United States, Anagnostos stated, “America was like a magnet because there were so many opportunities for personal growth and financial well-being. In Greece, you had to sell your goat to do something. Then, you were without the benefits that the goat provided. But a person does not have to do that here in America.”
Upon arriving in Cleveland, Anagnostos immediately began working at the family-owned Victory Lunch Restaurant on 78th Street. His unwavering commitment to quality still drives him.
At 84 years old, Anagnostos still runs the Diner on 55th six days a week. He does all the shopping for the restaurant to ensure the highest quality of food. He is a stickler for quality, even going as far as Akron if he cannot find what he wants in Cleveland. A typical day for Anagnostos starts at 2:30 a.m. when he rises, and he arrives at the Diner at 3:30 a.m. to prepare for the day’s service. This is all done before his staff arrives at 5:45 a.m. The Diner opens promptly at 6 a.m.
The Diner has a staff of 10 people, three cooks, three dishwashers, and three to four on the wait staff. On a recent visit, one of his daughters and a grandson were part of the wait staff.
Willie Strozier, one of the Diner’s cooks, has worked at the Diner for six and a half years. Before working at the Diner, he was a cook in the Navy for 47 years. He is enthusiastic and enjoys the work, the environment and all of the people.
When asked why he is still working, Anagnostos simply said, “I am not ready to retire because I would be bored.” Though he has no regrets about his life, he would not go into the restaurant business if he had to do it over.
“It requires so much time. You work your life away.”
In addition to operating the restaurant, Anagnostos continues to do all the ground maintenance at the Diner and at home. He loves well-manicured lawns and flowers. He said, “no one will do it quite how I like it.” Anagnostos’ love for his work is evident in every aspect of his life.
When he talks with young people, Anagnostos urges them to “get their education to have a better life. Young people getting an education improves the world.”
People regularly come to the Diner to let him know they took his advice, got their education, and have made a better life for themselves and their families. Anagnostos acknowledges that he never completed his education, but knows the importance of a good education.
Anagnostos is the type of man who will help a stranger and give wise counsel when needed. But make no mistake: he is no pushover. Anagnostos exemplifies all that is good and right in the world. He does not proselytize or preach the gospel but firmly believes in the Ten Commandments. Anagnostos lives his life
in a manner that lets you know he can “walk-the-walk” of being a good person. For Anagnostos, it is essential “to look toward tomorrow, respect everybody because we all have feelings, and to like yourself,” Bottom line, “we all like to be supported by close neighbors and like to see the change that our kindness brings about. If life were a recipe, it would consist of giving respect, to be respected, working to be successful, and staying away from drugs.”
Anagnostos said, “Thank you, everyone, all of my customers from over the years. You are more like family and friends.”
Sharon Lewis graduated from John Carroll University with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications and holds a Master of Education from Cleveland State University.
