Honoring the Aramingo Diner on its 50th Anniversary.

WHEREAS, The Aramingo Diner will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in the year 2007 after opening its doors in 1957 at 3356 Aramingo Avenue in the Port Richmond section of the City of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, In 1957, William and Catherine Moraitis opened the Aramingo Diner and their daughter Georgette fell in love with George Grigos. They married in 1972; and

WHEREAS, George Grigos knew the restaurant business was in his blood when at age 19 he moved to New York City and completed a two year community college course in restaurant and hotel management, although he could not afford Cornell University or The Culinary Institute of America, he had the passion and love to learn the food business; and

WHEREAS, He returned to Philadelphia and at the age of 21 started a job catering at the Philadelphia International Airport. Managing 350 people, he enrolled in sanitation courses and strived to have the cleanest, safest operations. George went onto work in many other food industry jobs ranging from the Waldorf Astoria to a restaurant purveyor supplying condiments to restaurants so he could learn the business in every aspect; and

WHEREAS, The Aramingo Diner has become a Philadelphia legend and institution in diner food as it serves up its famous cheesecake, Sunday chicken rice soup, Friday seafood platters and 24 hour breakfast with those famous home-fried potatoes and creamed chipped beef on toast; and

WHEREAS, In December 2006, a fire ravaged the kitchen and closed the legendary diner as restoration and reconstruction work left thousands of Aramingo Diner faithful without a place to gather for good food and good friends; and

WHEREAS, On March 19, 2007 George and Georgette Grigos and family along with their loyal staff, customers and friends open the newly restored Aramingo Diner just in time to celebrate their 50th Anniversary and prove once again that, “Nothing Could Be Finer Than the Aramingo Diner!”; now therefore

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Lifts a ceremonial fork of that famous Aramingo Diner cheesecake and toasts the Grigos Family on their 50th Anniversary of their restaurant and landmark eatery and wishes them 50 more years of being one of the most beloved and legendary diners in the City of Philadelphia.

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