Posted: Thursday, October 29, 2009 11:56 am

Demos’ Restaurants will celebrate its 20th Anniversary in November by bringing back something from its very first year — its pricing.

As part of the anniversary celebration, which will run from Thursday, Oct. 29-Thursday, Nov. 12, Demos’ will bring back its original 1989 menu and offer those items at their 1989 opening night prices. The offer will be good for one day only in each of Demos’ five restaurants and will be good all day long for any dine-in orders. The current menu will also be available at regular pricing.

The one-day special menu will be valid on the following days:
Hendersonville – Oct. 29
Nashville, Nov. 1
Murfreesboro, Nov. 2
Florence, Alabama, Nov. 5
Lebanon, Nov. 12

Jim Demos, patriarch of the family who operates these restaurants, said that the family has always offered its authentic family recipes at an authentic family value, “and this promotion is a reminder of the kind of value that we have always offered our customers.

“When we looked at our original menu we saw that virtually every item is on our current menu — several ones at the same price. So it seemed appropriate that we celebrate our 20th year in business by saluting the longevity of our recipes and giving our customers a price break at the same time.”

The restaurant tradition runs deep in the Demos family, encompassing four generations.

In 1943 at the age of 9, Jim Demos began working with his father Pete Demos, a Greek immigrant who owned a small restaurant in Birmingham, Ala.

Jim and his father were at times the only two employees, so Jim learned early about working hard in the restaurant business.

Jim worked with his father until he was 17 years old. From that time until 1972, Jim had graduated from college, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, worked in the motion picture theater business and was married.

From 1972 until 1989, Jim built and operated eight franchised restaurants and a commissary in the Nashville area. Then Jim sold all of his restaurants and moved to Murfreesboro to start a new restaurant concept — Demos’.

The family tradition is authentic. Jim is still actively involved in all aspects of the business. His wife, Doris, takes care of customer service, their son Peter is the president of the enterprise and daughter Felicia manages the financial side of the restaurant.

“Our friendly, family atmosphere coupled with four generations of original family recipes distinguishes us from our competitors,” Jim said. “Pasta sauces, soups and salad dressings are homemade, steaks are hand cut, bread is home baked. “

This commitment to quality and their focus on customer service have served them well — Demos’ has received numerous “Best” awards including “Best Family Restaurant,” “Best Value for Your Money,” “Best Place to Eat Steak,” “Favorite Restaurant,” “Best Place for a Business Lunch” and “Most Romantic” restaurant in numerous polls.

The value has always been evident. Seventy percent of their dinner menu is priced under $10, 80 percent of their lunch menu is priced under $7 and their dinner entrees come with choice of soup or salad and a basket of hot, home baked bread and most of their dinner entrees are served with a side of any spaghetti – a Demos’ distinction that has been a customer favorite for years – or one of 16 different side items. And Demos’ features a weekly lunch special at a low $4.25, with an entrée, bread and either soup of salad.

Demos’ was established in Murfreesboro in 1989 and subsequently opened locations in Nashville, Lebanon, and Hendersonville. The fifth location, and first outside Tennessee, was opened in Florence, Ala. in late 2008. More information about the 20th Anniversary and Demos’ is available at www.demosrestaurants.com.