Beloved family-owned Bradenton restaurant closes after nearly 50 years
BRANDENTON, Fla. - A pizza house that has been a staple in the Bradenton community for almost 50 years is closing its doors on Saturday.
Off Cortez Road, the sign for Demetrios' Pizza House has always held a welcoming invite.
"Bradenton and Demetrios' are pretty much synonymous with each other," said Lisa Myers.
Lisa Myers and her dad, Jefferson Asbury ate their first slice of Demetrios' pizza 46 years ago.
"You can have a million chains, but you can only have one Demetrios'," stated Myers.
Thursday afternoon, they had their last slice together.
"I don’t know what we are going to do without it. This is like a pillar. This is a landmark," shared Asbury.
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The dining room holds memories of years past. From birthday parties to sports banquets and high school gatherings. Customers took on a whole new meaning.
"Family. That’s truly how you describe it," said Gus Sokos of Demetrios'.
The restaurant was born out of a vision from Gus Sokos' dad, mother and aunt, who immigrated from Greece.
"To make the American dream. This is why they chose to come here. They have more than realized that," said Sokos.
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Through COVID-19 and staffing shortages, some things changed, but their business continued thanks to loyal customers.
"We grew up with the town here. We know everybody. They know us. The customers come in here like friends," said Paula Ludera, Sokos' aunt and co-owner.
After all that time serving others, the Sokos family made the difficult decision.
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"We finally said this may be the right time for us to step away and spend more time with our family and our kids that have grown up so quickly," Gus Sokos said.
They are being recognized and remembered for 46 years of countless memories made.
"It is my honor to present this to you as secretary of DEPR." Congratulations on everything you’ve done," said Melanie Griffin, Secretary of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
It’s a piece of Bradenton that will be missed but never be forgotten thanks to a family with an American dream.
"I'm sorry we missed you, but we still love you. I’m sorry we have to go, but we still love you," said Ludera.
Demetrios' Pizza House will be open until Saturday. On Saturday, Demetrios' will auction off its last pizza and give the proceeds to charity.