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Mom-and-pops that have survived the times have perfected their strategies Date published: 3/3/2005 By MEGHANN COTTER PARADISE DINER owner Demetrious "Jimmy" Zotos knows his customers always try the latest chain restaurants when they open here. But, eventually, the patrons always come back to him. Every meal at his southern Stafford County mom-and-pop restaurant is made from scratch. He knows his customers by name. And they know him as Jimmy "The Greek." Many small businesses and specialty shops in the Fredericksburg area have fallen victim to the arrival of chain stores. But longtime survivors say size can't replace the personal attention and homespun services they offer. "Usually, the real small mom-and-pops, they have loyal customers and their customer base has raised over the years," said Houston Gray, acting director for the U.S. Small Business Administration's Richmond district office. Zotos says he regularly serves three generations of customers--grandparents, parents and children. Paradise Diner, which offers a blend of Italian, Greek and American entrees, has been open since 1993. But Zotos has run other longstanding restaurants in his time. The best-known was Jimmy the Greek's on Lafayette Boulevard, which shut down about the same time he opened Paradise. He attributes his success to the high standards he sets for his employees and the original dishes his chefs prepare. But the survival of such mom-and-pops is often dependent on how well they accept the challenge of competition. "If they can find a niche that big guys like Wal-Mart aren't doing, that would help them stay around," said Peggy FaJohn, public information officer for the SBA's Richmond district office Pharmacist Steve May, owner of Goolrick's Modern Pharmacy in downtown Fredericksburg, says selling old-fashioned remedies, packaging items and delivering prescription orders has helped him compete with the larger drugstores, such as Rite Aid and CVS. Mike DeAngelis, corporate communications officer for CVS, says the chains offer the multiple locations, late hours and large selections of merchandise that a mom-and-pop may not. But his company considers independent pharmacies to be viable competitors. "The demand for pharmaceutical services continues to grow, and multiple pharmacies can exist in communities," he said. May is the third owner of the Caroline Street shop, which has been open since 1846. He has owned it since 1990.
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