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By:
Susan Ladd of the Times Staff
Dated: Friday, September 25, 1981
Pride.
Hard work. Determination. Those
are the words people use to explain
the success of Bill Pappas, owner
of Baldino's Sub Shops.
Its
the
only
way
an
immigrant
who
knew
two
sentences
of
English
when
he
arrived
in
this
country
14
years
ago
could
have
built
such
a
thriving
business
with
four
franchises,
and
more
in
the
planning.
Like
many Greeks
who have
settled in
the Fayetteville
area, Bill
Pappas came
to America
to escape
the depressed
economy of
Greece and
find better
working opportunities. And
like many
Greeks in
this area,
he went
into the
restaurant business.
"
If
you
don't
speak
English,
but
you
can
work
16
hours
a
day,
seven
days
a
week,
what
else
is
there?" he
says.
Pappas
came to
Fayetteville from
Greece in
1968. Like
many
immigrants,
he
already
had
family
here,
two
brothers. Pappas
worked and
saved and
in 1977,
bought the
original Baldino's
on Bragg
Boulevard.
Four
years later,
he has
four additional
franchises, and
is planning
several more. He
likes the
sandwich shop
type of
restaurant because
it moves
fast, and
gets lots
of traffic
throughout the
day.
"
I
always
wanted
a
little
better
than
the
traditional
Greek
joint-
you
know,
greasy,
beef
stew," he
says. "I
work like
a Greek
and try
to think
like an
American. If
you can
do that,
you'll be
successful."
Pappas
loves this
country and
its people. He married an American five years
ago, and has two sons. But he also wants to preserve his Greek heritage.
"I want to teach them the language. They understand Greek that's spoken
to them, but can't speak it yet," Pappas says. "My house in Greece
is in my son's name. I want them to know the place I came from."
But
Pappas
says
he's
content
to
stay
in
America,
and
has
no
plans
to
return
to
his
homeland
permanently.
"
The
place
I
came
from
was
beautiful,
but
the
opportunities
to
make
it
are
better
here. I
miss
Greece. I'd
like to
go back
for a
vacation, but
not to
stay."
Pappas
has a
sister also
living in
this country
now, but
his parents
and four
more sisters
still live
in Greece. Pappas
would like
to bring
the rest
of his
family to
Fayetteville.
"
They
have
come
to
visit
and
they
love
it
here," he
says.
Pappas
also plans
to make
Baldino's a
family business. His
son John
is only
7 weeks
old, and
Peter is
4.
"
But
when
he
gets
older,
he'll
be
working
at
the
slicing
machine," Pappas
says. "My
brother
used
to
pay
his
son
$1
a
day
to
wash
dishes
at
his
business. He
is a
lawyer today,
you see."
Hard
work. Determination.
Pride. These
things
surface
again
and
again
with
Pappas. He's
not
the
kind
of
businessman
to
farm
out
his
responsibilities.
Most
days
you
will
find
him
behind
the
counter,
slicing
meat
and
cheese
for
sandwiches. Pappas
works a
minimum of
16 hours
a day.
"
If
I'm
not
in
the
back,
I
miss
something," he
says. "Besides,
I'm
the
best
sandwich-maker
of
all. It's
a
challenge. It
makes
me
feel
good. If
I
didn't
have
responsibilities,
I
wouldn't
know
what
to
do. I
don't know
what to
do now
when I
have a
day off."
It's
his drive
that has
made Pappas
so successful
since he
opened his
first shop
in 1977. He
hopes by
the end
of the
year to
open a
new central
shop on
Owen Drive.
"
I
want
it
to
be
a
showcase," he
says. "It
will
have
a
Mediterranean
look. I
want it
to have
a nice,
nice atmosphere."
He
has
two
other
additional
location
in
mind
for
future
shops.
When
completed,
he
will
have
established
eight
additional
franchises
from
his
original
sub
shop.
Not
bad for
a man
who came
to this
country only
able to
say, "I
love
you" and "Sit
down" in
English.
"
I
feel
the
same
way
I
did
when
I
came
here
14
years
ago," he
says. "If
you want
to work,
you'll make
it."
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