![]() Wanting a beauty as well as a beast, Tom equipped his 'stang with 292 inches of free-flowing Ford. That's where the horse-swapping becomes apparent. You can also clear any intersection in a hurry. Simple Simon’s in South Portland recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.But that's not all you can clear nicely in this lemon yellow peril. Nicoletta and Brian Johnson, owners of Simple Simon’s restaurant in South Portland, pose with a photo of the day they first opened the restaurant 25 years ago. ![]() We’ve met a lot of good people through the years and (running the restaurant) has been one of the best experiences.” She added, “We love our customers, and they love us back. Overall, Brian Johnson said he knew that while there would be bumps in the road, “We never considered not making it.” And Nicoletta said, “We are most thankful for the support we’ve gotten, which gives us the opportunity to keep the doors open.” When asked how they came up with the name of Simple Simon’s, Brian Johnson said, “We had a dozen names we were toying around with and I kept stressing the point of ‘let’s keep it simple.’ We also wanted to specialize in soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch, and so we wanted the letter “S” involved.” We do what we do to help others, not ourselves.” The couple is also very generous when someone they know is facing a hard road.īut, Nicoletta Johnson said, “We don’t talk about what we do because it would lose its meaning. The Johnsons are well known for supporting the community, and they regularly assist the police and fire departments, the local schools and churches. She moved to the United States because she couldn’t find a good job at home, and her sister had already emigrated to Massachusetts.Īfter meeting Brian and getting married the couple moved to Maine because Nicoletta said it was “a good place to bring up kids.” Johnson was born in Greece and is originally from Kalamata. She also loves it when they come to the restaurant, which her granddaughter calls “Yaya’s place.” In her off hours, Nicoletta Johnson spends as much time with her grandchildren as possible. In addition to running the restaurant, Brian Johnson is also an accomplished musician, who plays solo gigs, as well as working with others, including a six-piece band. If you take care of your customers, they will take care of you.” She remembers being told, “you’re not going to make it” when she and Brian first announced their plans to open a restaurant.īut, Johnson said, “If you work hard and put your mind to it, you can be successful.” She said the 25th anniversary celebration was a “really emotional” day and said without the support of their loyal customers she and her husband would never have made it.īrian Johnson said that “to survive for 25 years is a real satisfaction” and Nicoletta added, “It’s our loyal customers that give us the strength to go on. Nicoletta Johnson said what she most enjoys about running the cafe?, where she and her husband are always on hand, is the people. In fact the Johnsons haven’t taken a single vacation in the past four years. They have three children and two grandchildren and have no plans to retire. The couple lives in South Portland now, but when they first came to Maine the Johnsons lived in Gorham. Subscribe - Holiday Gift Subscriptions Sign In My Account Logout Primary Menu ☰ X
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