George's Place 35th Anniversary

In 1976, one man and his wife had a dream to create a family-friendly atmosphere where locals would gather and enjoy delicious food. Now, 35 years later, George’s has become a local staple for generations, and has remained a family-owned restaurant in the heart of Kirkland.

On August 27 from 7 p.m. to close, George’s will celebrate its 35th anniversary by inviting family and friends to enjoy a night reflecting on and commemorating the past 35 years. Complete with Greek music, speeches from the Mangouras family and door prizes, this event will recognize the customers who have been a part of the George’s “family” since the beginning.

George’s also will launch a new retail line of T-shirts and hats for customers to take a piece of George’s home with them. With each purchase, customers will receive a commemorative 35th anniversary key chain.

Although George Mangouras, original owner of the restaurant, opened George’s as a pizza joint, he returned to his Grecian roots by preparing and selling homemade Greek food from the original recipes of his wife’s family.

After 35 years in business, Froni, George’s wife, still visits with as many as four generations of families at their tables, George’s family members work in the restaurant and new customers have become part of the George’s “family”. The tradition has continued long after George passed away, as George’s son, Pete Mangouras, and his childhood friend, Derek MacKenzie, took over the restaurant in 2008.

“We took a leap and transformed the appearance of George’s three years ago; however, we didn’t change our family-friendly atmosphere or our family recipes. We have customers who have been coming here since we first opened, when I was only two-years-old,” said Pete Mangouras, co-owner of George’s. “Our customers are all welcomed with open arms, for we are all family. We want to provide them with the best experience today and for many years to come.”

George’s is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, complete with a full bar and many menu items named after George’s family, such as “Athina’s Omelet” after Pete’s older sister, who also works at the restaurant, and “Eggs Karkinagri” after the island of George’s home village. As the tradition continues, the owners prepare to launch a salad dressing line in October that will allow customers to get a taste of George’s whether they are dining-in or on-the-go.

While George’s celebrates its 35th anniversary, the family-owned restaurant looks forward to many more years of welcoming customers into the warm atmosphere.