By By BEN RAYMOND LODE / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- The Giannakakis family had a good reason to celebrate Tuesday.
It was 10 years to the date since the family opened for business at the Prime Table Restaurant on South 11th Street in Niles.
Since its opening, Prime Table has become one of Niles' most successful restaurants.
Colorful balloons decorated the restaurant's interior and patrons could sample homemade Greek pastries the family had prepared to show their customers how much they are appreciated.
The lunch run had just begun Tuesday. Beth and Hub Hesseltine were there. They are what could be called regulars at Prime Table.
They know the restaurant gets busy at lunch time and therefore they try to get in a little earlier.
For 20 years, they have come to the same restaurant as a place to have lunch together, although before the Giannakakis family took over, the restaurant had a different name.
More often than not they can be found during lunch time in their own private restaurant booth.
She said they even spent her mother's 87th birthday at the restaurant.
And when friends are in doubt what to give the Hesseltines for Christmas, many of their friends give them gift certificates for Prime Table.
As some customers finished their lunch and got ready to leave, others came in to sit at booths and tables in the recently refurbished interior.
Gabriella Jones came to have lunch with her daughter and niece.
She said Prime Table Restaurant is a place the family has kept coming back to over the years.
She doesn't remember ever having left the restaurant not feeling satisfied.
And she knows she can always get corned beef hash, her favorite food there, anytime
Bill Giannakakis, one of the family members working at the restaurant, said the balloons marking the 10th anniversary celebration would be up for a couple of days.
He wanted to thank everyone who has visited the restaurant over the 10 successful years, and that includes the employees who have contributed to this success with their great service and hard work.