Chubby’s Family Restaurant

Selling Neighbor’s Casual Kitchen was tough, but Peter Touris was ready to come home.

Peter opened the trendy Audelia Road eatery in 2014 after running Chubby’s Family Restaurant for 15 years with his father, John.

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He didn’t anticipate returning to the longtime Lake Highlands eatery so soon, but John persuaded him to rejoin the family business.

“At the end of the day, we come here as a family to serve families,” Peter says.

John and his brother George opened Chubby’s along Northwest Highway and Jupiter Road in 1987. Although all of John’s children have been immersed in the business since they were born, Peter is the first one who opted to make food service a full-time career.

“I grew up in a carrier on a table,” he says. “It’s been a way of life continued.”

Peter jokes he and his father spend more time at Chubby’s than their own homes. They cook holiday dinners for their family and share meals at the café, even during their occasional day off.

John still works 105 hours per week, whether that’s bussing tables or taking inventory, to ensure the business runs smoothly. Although he owns the restaurant, he considers himself nothing more than another employee.

“I don’t feel because I own the place I can’t do certain things,” John says.

His dedication to dishing up three square meals in a family friendly setting hasn’t wavered in three decades. John immigrated from Greece as a teen, so the menu features Mediterranean staples alongside Southern comfort food. The made-from-scratch pies and chicken-fried steak sell as quickly as the chicken souvlaki and gyro sandwiches.

A new generation of young families has moved into the neighborhood, so Peter’s goal is to update the menu and rebrand Chubby’s “to get away from the diner stigma,” he says.

Its old-school vibe and do-it-yourself approach is the reason for its longevity, John says, so that won’t change any time soon.

“I learned it that way. I like it that way. I keep it that way,” he says.

Did you know: John Touris named the restaurant Chubby’s in honor of his brother’s childhood nickname.

Chubby’s Family Restaurant
Ambiance: Family friendly
Price Range: $10-$25
Hours: 6 a.m.–9 p.m. daily
11331 Northwest Highway
214.348.6065
eatatchubbys.com