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“It’s the people”, says Themo Mavrakakis, owner of The Pioneer Restaurant when asked what he loved most about owning the iconic “mom and pop” diner in the heart of Bradford.
“It really is the people. I mean, I’ve been doing this a while now and it’s awesome. Everyone knows who I am because of this place and what I do. It's special," he said. “I love the people and I love cooking."
The Mavrakakis family has owned and operated the business since 1982.
Mavrakakis' dad originally owned the restaurant and sold it before moving back with the family back to Greece for a brief few years.
The family later moved back to Canada to Windsor, where Mavrakakis and his brother George decided they wanted to buy a restaurant.
In 2008, the brothers looked on Kijiji and found the restaurant for sale in Bradford.
"We saw that it was the same exact place and were able to buy it back," said Mavrakakis, "This place has been in my family for years and was sort of meant to be. It’s awesome that 13 years later, we’re still here."
"Being a full-time restaurant owner, I am always (at the restaurant) and I still have my son full-time," said Mavrakakis.
Mavrakakis is a single dad of a little boy named Niko, with his father helping out with child care.
For a single dad and business owner, his life revolves around his business for reasons of both passion, and necessity.
The Pioneer Restaurant is just one example of a local business that has established itself as a piece of wholesome, delicious history in Bradford. Having been in the same location for over 50 years, it holds countless chats, laughs, and memories.
When you choose a local, resident-owned restaurant, you are choosing the experience of comfort and family, which has become especially important during COVID recovery.
Mavrakakis appreciates the local business community and will consciously make an effort to extend his support to other local businesses whenever possible.
“Of course, I’ll always opt for a locally owned place if I can. Absolutely. It's just kind of what you do," he said.
Owning a business is a risky business—especially when it comes to the food industry, given the tough competition. In the last 19 months, COVID-19 placed a large burden on the backs of dining services everywhere as business was forced to a halt on and off for months on end.
Mavrakakis explained his experience with the several protocols and regulations implemented due to COVID-19, specifically, the new vaccination requirement for dine-in service.
“We were swamped and then the vaccine mandate came into effect and our business went 60 per cent lower," he said. "We still have our regular clientele which makes up probably about 20 per cent of our customers and thankfully, take-out is still busy.”
He likes to remind residents that supporting local restaurants is supporting members of the community.
Mavrakakis calls Pioneer his "second home", and loves how he has been able to develop friendships with his regular patrons and hopes to do so for generations to come.
Pioneer Restaurant is located at 95 Holland St. West.
