FAIRFIELD, Conn. George Chatzopoulos was ready to close for the holiday seven years ago. It was his second year as owner of Chips Family Restaurant, and the previous Thanksgiving he was mostly alone.
The draw of football games between traditional rivals and the promise of a big meal later in the day appeared too strong for people to want to grab breakfast. Then a friend offered a solution.
He said, Why dont you have a fundraiser? Pick a local charity and give them the money? Chatzopoulos said.
So a Chip's Thanksgiving tradition was born. For $10, Chatzopoulos offered his customers a stack of what he bills as The Worlds Best Pancakes, a side of sausage or bacon and a drink. Even the waitstaff and cooks offered to work for free, meaning 100 percent of what Chips raised went to a good cause. The first year the restaurant raised about $4,500 for John Tartaglia, a Milford man battling illness.
Chatzopoulos opened a second location for Chips on Tunxis Hill Cutoff this summer. And right away he decided to bring the same Thanksgiving tradition to Fairfield as well. For the inaugural recipient, he chose Operation Hope, which runs a homeless shelter and food pantry in town.
I always asked my customers if there are any local charities I can help, Chatzopoulos said. Most of them said, Go to Operation Hope.
The flagship Orange location will still hold its annual breakfast, this time to benefit homeless veterans of the Iraq war. But Chatzopoulos hopes that as many as 600 Fairfielders turn out to help Operation Hope on Thursday not just to help Operation Hope, but to give Fairfields holiday cooks some time to work alone as well.
The women I talk to say, Itll be good to get everyone out of the house, said Glen McDermott, the restaurants marketing director. So youre not just supporting the cause, but also giving mom or dad a break.
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