On the corner of East 57th Street and South Blackstone Avenue stands a brown-awning diner with yellow walls and bright blue tile sparkling behind the counter. Inside, 19-year old Tess Frangias is a blur of movement as she weaves through the aisles, dishes in hand. Clad in jeans and a baseball cap, the co-owner whizzes around the room with practiced ease: seating customers with a smile, scribbling down orders and swapping stories with regulars.
In the bustle of the beloved business, Ms. Frangias makes sure she keeps the place moving.
Salonica, a Greek diner, was started by Ms. Frangias’s great uncle in 1979 and later bought by her father, John Frangias. After Mr. Frangias died eight years ago, Ms. Frangias’s mother took over, and Tess started co-running the restaurant last year. This year, Salonica is celebrating its 45th anniversary.
“It is a lot of work, and it is very draining, but I think it’s really worth it,” Ms. Frangias said. “I come home and I’m exhausted, but I feel good because I get to spend my days chitchatting with people, which I like to do.”
She initially planned to study abroad in Amsterdam after high school, but after some hitches in the plan, she decided to try out working in her family’s restaurant. She was hesitant about starting a managerial role but decided to plunge into the deep end, and she now works at Salonica six days a week. Her mother was in the same position years ago when she had to take over the business from her late husband.
“My dad never told my Mom anything about the restaurant,” Ms. Frangias said laughing. “She was like, ‘What do you mean? What am I supposed to do with this? I have to collect rent and, like, pay mortgage?’”
Ms. Frangias has taken her rightful authority in the restaurant. The grey walls in the back sitting area that once frustrated her are now painted a vibrant bubble gum pink. She has created her own specials to add to the menu by messing around with her favorite ingredients in the restaurant’s kitchen.
On top of building rapport with patrons, Ms. Frangias said she is close with her staff, a product of many of them being family members who have worked at Salonica for decades.
“’They’ve known me since I was a baby. I was basically raised here,” Ms. Frangias said. “That does make it a little bit harder to be a boss, because they still look at me like a little girl. It’s difficult, but we’re getting over that barrier slowly but surely.”
After finishing that thought, Mr. Frangias’s uncle entered the room and immediately came over to ruffle her hair and pull her into a hug. She may be the co-owner, but she is still the kid of the family, making the process of gaining respect more challenging but still crucial.
But at the end of the day, every advancement Ms. Frangias makes to the restaurant is made with the community in mind. For her, the most fulfilling moments in her career are when patrons stop by just to compliment the business and express their appreciation. A few years back, a couple even got engaged in Salonica.
“The people in the community here are so worth it,” Ms. Frangias said. “Everybody’s so tightly knit. We know everybody’s name, everybody comes in and gets the same thing. That’s what keeps us going, because it really is hard running a restaurant.”
At the brown-awning diner on the corner of East 57th Street and South Blackstone Avenue, Ms. Frangias’s commitment to her family’s legacy and the local community is what keeps the heart of Salonica alive.
