The Connecticut restaurant is so popular that the dining room is always full.
It’s on the east end of Torrington, a friendly breakfast and lunch spot that welcomes many customers daily, from 7 a.m. to past noon.
Owner Carley Terrell, the restaurant’s hostess, said the key is that George’s is a family place, where customers become friends and families return for the positive atmosphere and the food.
“I have 12 employees, and some of them have been here for a very long time; one of our waitresses, Annette Janco, has been here for 22 years. Everybody knows her, and she knows everybody. Michelle Finn is another waitress who’s been here for years,” Terrell said. “People like that; they always say it feels like family here.”
Her other waitresses, Sariha Maynard and Madi Donnelly, and busboy Luis Lopez, said their customers were like friends.
“I was a customer here first, and I was waitressing at another business,” Donnelly said. “I kept saying, ‘I like the vibe in here, it’s such a great place.’ When Carley needed to hire someone, I was ready.”
“It’s a good job,” Lopez agreed. “Kind people; the boss is great, and it’s got a good, positive atmosphere.”
George’s, a small restaurant that first opened in 1997, has had several owners since its founder, George Veras, first opened it. Other members of the Veras family still own and operate Tony’s Westside Restaurant on Migeon Avenue.
Some years later, George Veras sold the restaurant to Kevin Lee, who sold it to Jodi Calabrese in 2016.
“Jodi just made it work,” said Terrell, who has owned George’s for nearly three years. “I was a waitress here, and when Jodi came in, business really picked up. Then COVID-19 hit, and we had to close.”
George’s closed for nearly six months in 2020. As restaurants slowly reopened, with guidelines and limitations, George’s set up a tent outside and welcomed customers to dine al fresco or inside, with limited seating.
The restaurant survived the shutdown and slow return to normal, and the regular customers came back. And when Calabrese was ready to sell in 2022, she turned to Terrell.
“Jodi approached me to buy it, post-covid,” Terrell said. “I began managing and learning everything I needed to know, and it was a very smooth transition. We have a great crew here and it worked out very well.
“To this day, people don’t always know Jodi’s not here anymore, and that’s the way we wanted to do it, without any disruption,” Terrell said.
Terrell, now the hostess, greets each customer with the same sweet smile and greeting, “Hi, how are you? It’s good to see you,” as couples and groups of four, six and more enter and leave.
A mother of two boys, Terrell said the “fantastic crew” at George’s are accompanied by help from her boyfriend, Charlie Cheney. “He’s our non-paid employee; he fixes things for us,” Terrell said.
Her parents, Carol and Rodger Terrell, are also regulars for lunch. Carol manages the seasonal decorations in the dining room; such as ceramic pumpkins and other Thanksgiving-themed décor and then Christmas just as festive, she said.
At 11 a.m., late breakfast and lunch were being served; the restaurant is open until 1:30 p.m. and along with specials, including four varieties of homemade soup, there are eggs any style, pancakes and French toast.
For lunch, there’s a variety of sandwiches, pasta dishes and homemade sirloin chili. Specials might include cannoli-stuffed French toast, a Monte Cristo sandwich, pesto chicken or a loaded spinach salad.
“We have people who come here every day for their breakfast; they sit in the same seats,” Terrell said. “There’s a group of guys who come every Wednesday. People like the same tables. And they make friends.”
Customers Joan and Lou Battistoni, Ernie Sacco and Patty Behrens didn’t know each other until they started coming to George’s, years ago. After lunch, the four lingered by the door, catching with each other as well as Terrell.
“I’m the taste tester for Carley,” Joan Battistoni said. “Today I checked the coffee. It was good.”
“We love everything about this place,” Behrens said. “The food, the friendliness, everything. George’s is the only place to go.”
“They’ve become such good friends to us that when they’re away, I’ve watched their cats,” Terrell said with a laugh. “They’ve always been good customers.”
At another table, a group of women who dubbed themselves “The Fair Maidens” were settling in for lunch.
The group, many of whom have known one another for more than 30 years, said they first met as a church group, but eventually chose to meet at George’s.
“It’s the friendships we have that are so important,” said member Janice Uhl. “We have a good time here.”
“They just treat us so wonderfully (at George’s),” said Joyce Lawton. “We don’t have to rush, either.”
“The food is good, and the atmosphere is great,” said Betty Marinaccio. “It’s a nice family place.”
George’s Restaurant at 1203 East Main Street, Torrington, is open at 7 a.m. daily, and closed on Wednesdays. Visit their Facebook page or call 860-626-1512.