Greek Immigrant Finds Niche in Restaurants

As a child, George Dimopoulos lived in a village southwest of Athens on the Peloponnesus Peninsula. The family’s home didn’t have electricity or water.

Dimopoulos, who came to America from Greece, worked hard to change that.

His work ethic has sustained him in the nearly 40 years he’s owned the popular local restaurants, including the location in Northville.

Dimopoulos recalled how his mother collected wood for a fire to cook and bake bread. He completed sixth grade, but didn’t go further since the nearest high school was a three hour walk each way.

Dimopoulos left home when he was 12.

“I worked 50 hours a week for 10 drachmas. That’s only 50 cents. Fifty hours for 50 cents,” exclaimed Dimopoulos.

He eventually served as a cook in the Greek army, then came to the United States in 1969.

Dimopoulos’ aunt and uncle had opened the original Senate Coney Island in 1937. It was located in Detroit, at Michigan Avenue and Livernois. Like other businesses in the area, the coney island, which burned down 10 years ago, was named after the nearby Senate Theater.

Dimopoulos worked not only at the Senate but also as a busboy at Topinkas, an upscale Detroit restaurant frequented by the city's rich and famous.

“I didn’t know English, and went to school to learn. It was hard,” Dimopoulos recalled.

While at work customers would make requests, in English, that he didn’t understand.

“They’d say, ‘Can I have a toothpick?’ I’d say, ‘Excuse me?’ and they’d say, ‘Can I have a toothpick?’ I’d go in the back and ask, ‘What’s a toothpick?’ Then I’d write it down, and remember. Little by little I picked up more words,” Dimopoulos  explained.

Great chefs worked at Topinkas. And Dimopoulos, who loves to cook, spent as much time as he could in their kitchen, learning recipes.

“I asked a lot of questions,” he said. “The chefs asked me why I wanted to know so much. I told them I was going to open my own restaurant. They laughed at me. I had just come from Greece and didn’t speak English.”

In 1972 he opened his first Senate restaurant in Taylor.

“They threw me a big going away party. It was really nice,” Dimopoulos said of  everyone at Topinkas.

Three more Senate restaurants followed: Livonia in 1985, Dearborn in 1991, and Northville in 2005.

Chuck and Nancy Brandt have been Senate customers for over 25 years.

“We eat at all four restaurants. In all these years I’ve never had a bad meal,” Brandt said.

Jean Ratchford and Evelyn Grabowski, who live in the neighborhood behind the Northville Senate, were finishing their meal.

“This is our home away from home,” Ratchford said. “We hang out here. This is our meeting place.”

Grabowski added, “George is always cheerful. Everyone is friendly.”

Dimopoulos’ sons Steven and Nicholas worked at the restaurants while growing up. Together they run the Livonia store. His wife Katina travels between the four locations, tasting the food to make sure everything is okay.

The menu includes fresh-made breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Greek dishes – such as saganaki (flaming cheese), mousaka and pastisa – are served, as well as a variety of other dishes such as stir fry, shrimp and chicken parmesan. The bean soup and lentil soup are based on Dimopoulos’ mother’s recipes.

“I love people. I love to cook for people,” Dimopoulos said. “I want everyone to walk out happy.”