Teddy’s Restaurant Poised to Celebrate 40th Anniversary

In 1973, Teddy Nikitiades became the proud father of baby boy George, who followed two older sisters into the world. In that same year, Teddy Nikitiades also became the owner of the Cranbury restaurant on Main Street that still bears his name: .

at the age of 77, but his family still carries on the family tradition in the place known as the “restaurant where people meet and always return.” Famous for homemade meals, Teddy’s offers business lunches and daily specials, and in addition to its regular sit-down service, offers an extensive takeout menu and menus for private parties.

George Nikitiades took over the restaurant’s day-to-day operations, but his mother, Kathy, still plays an active role, and his sisters make it very much a family-owned and operated business.

“It’s all about being a close-knit family,” Nikitiades said. “My sisters and my mom, at times when one is weak, the other is strong. My dad came from Greece when he was 18 years old. Greeks celebrate good food and good eating. We have a lot of Greek specialties, including spanakopita, moussaka, Greek salad and Greek omelets. Twice a month on Fridays we have live music. Our St. Patty’s day dinner is huge and traditional with corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, Irish lamb stew, and ham and cabbage.”

George Nikitiades said he learned everything about customer service from his father, who he watched closely as he grew up.

“He taught me always to be good to people, to give people a good meal at a good price, and always to be of service to the community,” Nikitiades said.

“We’ve always wanted Teddy’s to feel like a place for everyone to hang out, a place that’s safe for kids to be here and eat even when their parents aren’t here; everyone is welcome. Our restaurant is like the melting pot of Cranbury.”  

Nikitiades explains that Teddy’s Restaurant was born out of his father’s dream that took root when he was a hard-working bellhop at the world-renowned Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. He kept that dream alive as he continued his career in the bakery owned by his family in Atlantic Highlands called The Sweet Shop. After that, he moved to Hightstown where he worked as a cook for years at the Hightstown Luncheonette. But he never lost sight of his dream, according to his son.

“He wanted to open his own place,” Nikitiades said. “So when he had saved enough money, he bought this restaurant and a couple of other buildings in Cranbury. He thought he would do well in Cranbury because at that time, there was nothing like this here. He always felt like Cranbury was more of his home than Hightstown; he loved the community and the people here.” 

The original restaurant started out much smaller, and the older Nikitiades put on two more additions over the years. George Nikitiades says his father was at the restaurant from morning to night seven days a week, and though it was hard work, it didn’t always feel like it.

“It was his life; he enjoyed what he did, which is what anybody would want. Most of our business is locals because Cranbury has that village aspect, there are lots of good hometown people here.”

Over the years, Teddy’s has become the community gathering place where people come to mark the milestones of their lives. The Cranbury-Plainsboro Little League has had many a baseball team come for their celebration dinners. Nikitiades notes that the restaurant always sponsors the CPLL Yankees because his father was a Yankees fan and the first game he ever saw was Don Larsen’s perfect game in game five of the 1956 World Series.

“We believe in community,” Nikitiades said. “In addition to the Little League, we work with the Lion’s Club and the women’s version of the Lion’s Club, the fire company, the schools, and every year we supply the pea soup for the Cranbury Craft Show.”

After years of helping the community celebrate special occasions, Teddy’s is celebrating one of its own next year: its 40th anniversary.  Nikitiades attributes the staying power of the family business to the core values established by his father.

“You work hard and you have to be fair,” he said. “That’s what my father instilled in me. Living up to his legacy. That’s what I live for. And now that he’s not here, I try to conduct myself in the way that he would and that would make him proud.”