Hope Mills Italian restaurant known for spaghetti specials, Sunday lunch, celebrates 30 years
An Italian eatery in Hope Mills joins the ranks of longest-running area restaurants today, as it celebrates 30 years in business.
Like many of the iconic restaurants that have shaped the Fayetteville-area food scene for decades, Sammio’s Italian Restaurant is owned and operated by a family with Greek roots.
The late Sam Frangos, who emigrated from Greece and eventually settled in Fayetteville, first opened Sammio’s Italian restaurant with his son Louis in 1993. It was first located at a site on North Main Street that went on to be a Pizza Hut, then a pawn shop. Three years later, the restaurant moved down the road to its current location at 3057 N. Main St.
In 2004, the younger Frangos opened a location on Raeford Road in Fayetteville, but later sold it to the current owners, James and Sarah Whiteaker.
The older Frangos died in 2014, but his children Louis, 50, and Ourania, 46, as well as his grandson Sam Frangos, 29, remain at the helm, while many other family members work at the 8,500-square-foot restaurant.
In 2018, the former building was torn down and replaced by the current two-story restaurant that accommodates up to 350 diners. There is a full bar, two banquet rooms and a patio.
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While the building has an updated look, the restaurant carries on traditions that have existed since it first opened three decades ago.
Among those is the Wednesday spaghetti special, which features the tomato and meat sauce often referred to as “gravy.” The sauce is made from the same recipe — which originated with the restaurant’s founder — as it was 30 years ago.
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Another long-honored tradition is Greek chicken for Sunday lunch. Sammio’s typically sells out of the marinated, slow-cooked chicken within a couple hours of opening on Sunday, Louis Frangos, said, as families pour into the restaurant after church.
For years, the restaurant has celebrated the anniversary of the restaurant's opening by showing customers their appreciation with deep discounts, Frangos said. Today, they're offering $2.99 spaghetti and $4.99 baked ziti for all takeout and dine-in orders. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Frangos said he’s proud to honor his father by operating the restaurant alongside his son Sam Frangos, and he’s grateful for the support of loyal customers over the years.
“Maybe we’ll make it to 50 years,” he said.
The younger Frangos said he would happily take over the family business when the time comes.
“I don’t plan on going anywhere,” he said.
Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com, on Twitter, or Facebook. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Iconic Hope Mills Italian restaurant Sammio's celebrates 30 years
