On a typical Monday afternoon, the sun shone brightly. Groups of clouds lazily drifted over a family restaurant. The smells of the cuisine emanated through the building, mixing with the air outside. Inside the building, two sisters worked as servers. The reason they worked here may strike some as odd: their parents owned the restaurant.

Revere parents Anphie and Thano Kapolis own and operate Thano’s Family Restaurant. They currently operate two locations, one in Canfield and one in Barberton. The Kapolises entered the restaurant business over ten years ago. Self-employed since college, they began in the beverage business and had a deli as well. Eventually, Thano turned to a partnership with a sports bar, and he and his wife eventually bought the restaurant of a family friend in Canfield. Anphie has a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Ohio State University, and Thano has a degree in business finance. Thano explained what responsibilities they both have running their two locations.

“[My wife does] the administrative paperwork for both restaurants. I am doing a lot of the food preparation [and] managing the back of the house, and she manages the front of the house,” Kapolis said.

Kapolis’s wife discussed what type of food they prepare. Their homemade specialties include Greek dishes such as stuffed grape leaves, gyros and Greek spaghetti. Other dishes include Thano’s personal favorite, the “Prime Roman,” a sandwich with prime rib, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and Caesar dressing.

“I would say [we serve] diner [food]. We do breakfast, lunch and dinner. . . . We do breakfast all day, and we do sandwiches, wraps, steaks, chops, pasta, salad and [our] homemade specialties,” Anphie said.

The Kapolis family has about 65 employees working in their restaurants, and each restaurant serves approximately 400 people a day. Kapolis explained what he finds most difficult and most rewarding about running a restaurant.

“Managing employees [is difficult], . . . [but I enjoy] watching some of [them] get ahead in life, work hard, make money, move on and progress in their own lives,” Kapolis said.

The Kapolis children also pitch in to help with their parents’ restaurant. Revere alumni Kiki and Christina Kapolis have previously worked as servers, and current Revere sophomore Niko Kapolis will most likely start working there in the summer.

Both locations of Thano’s Family Restaurant open at 7:00 am and close at 9:00 pm every day. Their website provides further information, including menus and maps to the locations.