Last summer, Nick Markopoulos celebrated his 75th birthday with son George and granddaughters at the diner he established in 1982 in Wheaton, Maryland. Longtime patrons say they keep coming back for the food and camaraderie. Photo by David Choy

• Share

PRINT

The 1980s sitcom “Cheers,” about a small Boston bar “where everybody knows your name,” seems to be alive and well in Wheaton, Maryland — minus the beer.

Nick’s Diner, nestled at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and University Boulevard, attracts a cast of regulars who know each other’s names. For more than 42 years, generations of customers have enjoyed its hearty food and cozy atmosphere, connecting through their life’s journeys.

“This is the breakfast ‘Cheers,’ where everyone knows about each other’s lives and families, and their words travel down the counter from one guy to the next,” said George Markopoulous, whose parents, Nick and Sophia Markopoulous, opened the restaurant in 1982, when their children were teenagers.

Now George and his sister Heather operate the diner, and Nick has retired. He recently celebrated his 75^th birthday on July 22 at the restaurant.

The place is packed on weekends and only opens for breakfast and lunch during the week. According to George, the family’s business philosophy is based on people-to-people interactions and employee satisfaction.

“We have employees here who have been with us for more than 23 years. People come to see the staff and their other friends to keep up with life. This is an extended family operation we run, more so than a numbers operation,” he said.

Birthday bash

Pancakes, omelets and coffee normally keep the cash register humming, but on Nick’s birthday, free meals were the order of the day, thanks to longtime patron Dave Carter.

“This is my way to give back to the community and celebrate life. I’m not a millionaire, and I’m not poor,” Carter said.

The 83-year old Carter, who shares his birthday with Nick, has been coming to the diner six days a week for the past 10 years.

“This is Americana at its best,” Carter said. “It’s a meeting place. It’s not Nick’s and George’s Diner; they may own it, but it’s the people’s diner,” Carter said.

The age demographic at Nick’s spans several generations, from 8 to 85 years old. Somehow, they all talk to each other, and conversations among strangers spark easily.

Some come to be at peace and to read, some rely on the consistency of the comfort food, and others seek the camaraderie.

“We all talk about everything from football to cheeseburgers, motor bikes to babies. It’s always civil,” Carter said.

Surviving the pandemic

The pandemic wreaked havoc on the diner, but it survived through delivery and takeout orders. Before Covid, the tiny diner packed 40 customers into the small dining area. In those times, the restaurant only saw about 20% of sales going to take-out orders.

“Today, we do about a 60-40 split, but the higher pickup rate has not destroyed the family vibe here. People still come and sit and talk and eat,” George Markopoulous said.

In July, the multi-racial, multi-generational crowd that assembled on Nick’s birthday celebration shifted and shimmied around each other. The waitstaff snaked through the tight dining area, balancing plates and coffee cups through the gaggle of breakfast banter.

The event was symbolic of the standard of service Nick created: People first.

“I’ve been coming here for 40 years,” said longtime patron Gerry Gleason. “I’ve eaten over 12,000 eggs, but I come for the friendship.”