Occupation: My wife Efie and I are co-owners of the Newtown Pizza Palace on Church Hill Road along my brother, John Antonopoulos, and his wife, Vassi.

I came first to Canada in 1972 from Kalamata, Greece, where they grow the delicious olives. I was 16 years old then, and I worked for my sister, who sponsored me. She and my brother-in-law owned East Avenue Pizza. Then in 1973, I came to the United States and spent time at several different restaurants where I did almost everything while learning the business from the ground up. I was at the Pizzaman and also the Poseidon Restaurant in Stamford. Then I spent seven years at Alexander’s Pizza in Norwalk. I have also worked at Chicago Style Pizza and at Duchess in Darien. All these jobs helped me learn how to run a restaurant. Owning my own restaurant has always been a dream of mine and it came true in 1983 when we bought the Pizza Palace. We opened it in 1984. In 1989, we also purchased what was once the Village Coffee Shop in the Village Square Shopping Center on South Main Street and opened Mona Lisa Restaurant. We kept that going for 11 years until we sold it.

Family: Efie and I have two grown boys, a son Nick, 23, who works in New York City at Bear-Stearns Investment Company, and another son, Peter, 21, who also works in the city at Goldman Sachs. They attended St Rose School and then Fairfield Prep, and they went to college at Fairfield University. They’ve been a part of this town their whole life. They started out helping us here by busing tables. Now on weekends when they come home, they still help out in the restaurant.

Hobbies: I like to hunt and fish, and Efie and I like to work in our vegetable garden. I love watching soccer, and I used to play the game.

Pets: I love my chickens but I hate it when something gets them, like a coyote. I have two roosters, and four dogs –– all beagles.

Favorite TV Show, Movie, Book: When I have time, I like to read histories, mainly about different countries.

Most Vivid Memory About Newtown: I have a vivid memory of my very first day in this town. We were driving up from Norwalk and we thought what a beautiful place this was. Now, we feel so fortunate to be a part of the life of this town.

I also want to say how fortunate I’ve been in my business and in the loyalty and hard work of my employees. They have made everything possible and I am so grateful to them. I am also grateful to the people of Newtown who continue to support us.

Favorite Vacation Spot: I love to go any place that is away from the daily routine where I can relax, and where there is no phone.

Personal Philosophy: I have a favorite little story about what it is like to raise children that I think is absolutely true. Think about a small child as a young tree that is just planted. If you put a sturdy stick next to the tree, it grows straight. If you neglect it and don’t pay attention –– allow the tree to grow on its own without a stick –– it will bend and never grow straight and you can’t go back later on and change its shape.

Life is like this also. You have to work hard and build on a firm foundation. Build your house on cement not on sand, or everything will be washed away.

SNAPSHOT: Jim and Elfie Antonopoulos