Brothers Deli celebrates Thanksgiving with family

LYNN – Brothers Deli owner George Markos spends his days running a busy restaurant, so it would be understandable if, come Thanksgiving, he would want to just enjoy a quiet day with the family.In a sense he does just that, except it?s far from quiet. And the family consists of the 700-plus people who come by Brothers that day to enjoy turkey, all the trimmings and companionship. Markos started serving a free Thanksgiving dinner to anyone who came through the door that day back in 1993 and the tradition continues 21 years later.?Thanksgiving is my No. 1 holiday,” he said. “I so look forward to that day. No money exchanges hands. Everybody comes in with a smile, says, ?good morning, how are you?? They exchange stories.”For Markos, putting on Thanksgiving dinner is not only a way to say thanks for all the blessings that have come his way, but it?s also a way to honor his father, who died at age 65 the year before that first dinner. Markos said growing up, his parents (his mother still lives in Greece) taught him that when someone needs something, you bring it to the house.?If you have something, you just cut it. You divide it. We grew up that way,” he said.Markos has a dedicated group of volunteers that includes police officers from Nahant, people from the courthouse and assorted other friends who help make the day happen. Markos bought 125 turkeys from Market Basket this year, and his mother-in-law and sister-in-law are providing another 35. Volunteers start arriving Wednesday night to help with the food preparation – cleaning the birds, peeling a mountain of potatoes and, in general, doing whatever else needs to be done.?It?s like a party,” he said about the all-night preparations.The food starts hitting the tables early Thanksgiving morning (around 9 a.m.) with the last turkeys coming out of the oven at 8 p.m. Markos said if there are elderly or disabled people who can?t get out, they?ll find a way to get them a dinner or pick them up and get them to the restaurant.Markos moved to the United States from Greece at the age of 15. He started at Brothers in 1979 and took over in 1981. He met his wife, Eva, at a Greek picnic and the rest, as they say, is history.?I went from one good thing (his own family in Greece), to another good thing,” he said. “They (his in-laws, George and Kally Koukounaris) are giving people, nice people. They welcomed me into the family. I?m so fortunate.”He and Eva have two children, 26-year-old Alexandra and 23-year-old George.?They?re very loving, very giving. They go out of their way to do things (for others),” he said.Markos said he doesn?t know the names of all the people who come to the restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner, but he knows many of the faces. He said some of those who come to dinner aren?t able to be with their own family that day and some others don?t have family. Others are people who are regulars at the restaurant throughout the year.?The family gets bigger and bigger every year,” Markos said.