Louis Retires: 'All My Life I Worked In The Kitchen'

JOLIET, IL — Sunday marked the end of an era, the final day of business for Louis Polimenakos who opened his Louis' Family Restaurant at 1001 West Jefferson St. on Dec. 18, 1992.

"This place was a big success," he said.

In the 1970s, Polimenakos came to the United States from Athens, Greece, on a student visa. He already had a bachelor's degree in accounting when he began his studies at Roosevelt University in Chicago.

"I came here to get the master's degree," he remarked Sunday.

Polimenakos never became an accountant in Illinois.

Instead, his career path led to the kitchen, running restaurants.

In 1992, he opened the Louis' Family Restaurant, where The Skylark had been shuttered for more than a year on Joliet's west side.

"I start from zero, it was a dead place at the time I opened. The Skylark, it was dead. I started with very little capital. I used old booths and tables. Then I cleaned up the place."

During Sunday afternoon's interview at the counter, the 73-year-old Polimenakos told Joliet Patch he's proud that he outlasted several popular Joliet restaurants including Diamand's Family Restaurant, Earl's Cafe, The Family Table and TnT Restaurant,, which was operated by Chicago Bears players Mike Tomczak and Tom Thayer.

"It's hard for a restaurant to last 30 years and still have good business," Polimenakos remarked during Sunday's final day for Louis' Family Restaurant.

Polimenakos told Joliet Patch his restaurant turned the corner at the two-month mark of its opening year. "I put a balloon outside and gave 10 percent, 20 percent and 30 percent discounts. On breakfast, 10 percent, lunch, 20 percent, and dinner, 30 percent. I did it for three days. Next week, business doubled and after that, month by month, I built the business up.

"The key was give food and keep your price down," he told Joliet Patch.

Louis Polimenakos did not work 40 hours a week at his restaurant. He didn't put in 50 hours a week. Many years, he said, he was here 363 days of the year, only taking off two days of the year.

"I was working seven days a week in the kitchen," he said. "All my life I worked in the kitchen, not outside."

May 2000 marked a major change for Louis' Family Restaurant, he noted. That's when he decided to eliminate dinner. At that point in his life, he had two small sons, at home, Michael and Nicholas.

"I was working 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and my days off was Christmas and Thanksgiving," he recalled.

As time went on, Louis' Family Restaurant became best known for its breakfast and Louis coined the slogan, "Best Breakfast in Town."

Even though Louis Polimenakos is officially retiring from running a Joliet restaurant, his two boys, Michael and Nick, will be opening their own restaurant, Louie's Waffle house this Wednesday. Dec. 1 at the former Bob Evans property at the corner of Larkin Avenue and McDonough Street.

"Wednesday, 6 a.m.," he said. "Right now, that's the plan."

"I believe in my kids. They are smart," he continued. "They work extremely hard. They have the will. There is a way to succeed."

How did Louis' Family Restaurant manage to stay busy for practically 30 years?

"Good food and taking care of the customers," Louis told Joliet Patch. "Don't let the customers leave your place unhappy. A happy customer is the best advertisement for any business."

Reflecting on his nearly 30 years of being on Jefferson Street, Louis Polimenakos had this to say: "A huge thank you to all my customers. They support me for 30 years, thank you, thank you, very much."

Although Louis' sons have announced that their father will not have any role in managing and running their new restaurant set to open in December, Louis Polimenakos told Patch he expects to be visiting several days a week.

"I cannot stay home," he said. "I'll be around."

Overall, Louis has no regrets about his decision to bypass a career in the accounting field to pursue a career as a Joliet restaurant owner.

"This restaurant gave me the chance to support my kids to send them to private schools to get a nice education," he said. "It's 30 years I spent over here. It's time for me to get out of here."

At the time of his retirement, Louis' Family Restaurant had 801 Google Reviews, averaging 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.