“How is everything so far?” a waitress asks two customers, one with a plate of turkey and gravy, and the other with a gyro and french fries.

The guests signal their approval, and the waitress at Two Brothers Family Restaurant in Oshkosh makes her way to another table, cheerily gossiping with the satisfied guests.

Chatter from the tables of regulars fills the restaurant all the way up to the wine red rafters, which sport various model airplanes. Potted plants line the walls just below each booth’s windows, while photos and posters liven the yellowish cream walls.

A life-size poster from the 2002 film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” hangs next to the payment counter, and vintage soda bottles line the island behind the bar, where a couple of employees roll silverware as the end of the night approaches.

From the hole in the wall diner, to the community breakfast spot and the Sunday after church go-to, local, family-owned businesses have played a quintessential role in the American story. But this staple of American cuisine is struggling to stay afloat.

An October 2020 article by the Food Institute highlighted the downfall of the family-owned restaurants — and the continued growth of fast food chains.

Written during the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, the article said that while chains like Chipotle, Papa Johns, and McDonald’s saw strong growth, nearly three-quarters of the 22,000 restaurants that closed between March 1 and Sept. 10, 2020 were businesses with five or less locations.

Bona fide restaurants aren’t the only businesses taking a hit too, the article said. “The number of coffee shops in the U.S. is shrinking for the first time in nine years as sales decrease. This is aiding coffee-serving chains such as Starbucks, Dunkin’ and McDonald’s.”

Two Brothers has stood the test of time since 1990. Owned and run by brothers John and Louis Giannopoulos, the restaurant oozes through the veins of every member of the Giannopoulos family.

Louis, 54, saw his father and uncles working in factory jobs and car shops in Greece; starting a restaurant never crossed his mind. This changed, however, when he moved to the United States.

“I started out in Chicago working at two different restaurants and really enjoyed it,” he said. “After I saved up enough money with my father and brother, we decided to move up to Oshkosh and open Two Brothers.”

Owning and running a restaurant became a passion for him when he began to build a community.

“It always brings me joy to see so many familiar faces walk in our door every day,” he said.

The mantra of the restaurant is relationships. Virtually every family member has worked for the restaurant at some point in their life.

One of Louis’ sons, Alexandros Giannopoulos, said that he was around 10 years old when he began working for his dad and uncle.

Now 20 years old, he said that he has built a community with the patrons he often sees. 

“I’ve had the same people over the last, I’d say, almost 15 years ask me about school and sports,” he said. “I even have some ongoing bets with these guys about the Packers winning and losing. It lets me build a little fun community that I can engage [with]. I think this aids in our success, that the family gets involved with their customers.”

The small-town bars, sit-down restaurants and newspaper-and-coffee diners can be the strings that tie together communities. This is what Doug Mack argued in his 2021 piece for The Counter.

“The laid-back cafes, coffee shops, diners, barbecue joints, pizzerias and pupuserias that dot every neighborhood and town … they’re the quintessential American restaurants, doing the unsung work of knitting together the social fabric, one meal or cup of coffee at a time,” Mack wrote.

When these restaurants go under — a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent economic conditions — those pockets of community bonding become dispersed. And Two Brothers, which has won the “Best of Winnebago County Best Breakfast” every year between 2011 and 2019, is a dining staple for many Oshkosh residents.

Alexandros said he plans to eventually take over the restaurant, and aims to maintain a sense of community and the presence of his family.

“The biggest way I can do this is just by being there,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of business owners that don’t show their faces that don’t show the work ethic. That’s what I want to do. I want to show my face. I want people to know me and I want to show my employees that I will do this and work with them. They are not alone.”

This mentality is what Louis said has allowed the business to be successful for over three decades. Some of his employees have been with him for 10 years, a handful for over 20 and one that is going on her 32nd year at Two Brothers.

The kids aren’t the only family members helping at the restaurant, though. Louis’ mom, Anna Giannopoulos, still helps out. She can’t go to the restaurant as much as she used to due to doctor’s orders.

However, when she does go in, she makes the pies and cheesecakes that line the front counter, the soups, dressings and sauces, such as the tartar, tzatziki and shrimp sauces. Like everyone in the Giannopoulos family, Two Brothers has defined who she is.

“[Two Brothers] has helped me acclimate to America,” she said. “When I came here my English was very bad and I was very shy. But the restaurant lets me meet a lot of people and work on my social skills with them. From when we opened, I remember a lot of the faces that came in and they still come in there since day one.”

The connection to Oshkosh is even in the restaurant’s decor. In a corner of the restaurant hang about a dozen photos of historical planes from Oshkosh’s yearly Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture show. One photo shows a plane from D-Day, which came to AirVenture in 2003, while another shows planes from World War II and the Korean War, which visited in 2002.

Alexandros said a lot of recurring patrons visit during the annual July show, which has fostered a sense of community.

“I can’t tell you how many people that I get to see every year over [AirVenture]; they have been coming into the restaurant for almost 20 years,” he said. “They have literally seen me age every single year, and for that single week that they’re in town I get to see and hear the new stories that they bring and the places they’ve been to. And that’s so exciting.”

Louis said that this sense of community will be Two Brothers’ legacy.

“Two brothers has never been just the business,” he said. “Yes it is the way I make my living, but it’s also the spot I get to take my family when they visit me over the holidays. It’s the spot where I get to see my kids before they go to school, it’s a spot where I get to see familiar faces every single day. It is also a spot where I get to see new faces and meet new people and hear their stories.”