Michael Dabour

The years are 1971-73 (almost 40 years already) ... Vietnam ... Nixon ... flower children ... hippies ... yuppies ... The Beatles ... Elvis ... layoffs in the aerospace industry ... Kent State University ... recession ... no job ... can’t find a barbershop open (they renamed barbers hair stylists). Draft card in one pocket; Zero dollars in the other. Fairly new in America ... desperate ...

IDEA: a Restaurant (can’t go hungry then).

I sublet a closed restaurant from Denny’s Corporation in Corona, California. But no money to fix it up and reopen. A little paint here ... a nail there. Some borrowed equipment from Denny’s ... no special concepts in mind. No name yet for my dream. Time was passing fast. Rent and bills are due. Holding my head in my hands, with the weight of financial burdens, here comes the meter reader from the electric company for their first billing. So, he asked me: HEY, GREEK! ARE YOU MAD TODAY?

So, finally, we opened with the name “Mad Greek Cafe ... generous portions of good food, low prices, freshly painted and clean and smiling fast service. An immediate success!

The Mad Greek Cafe ... too daring, too crazy, too ethnic for the time but, based on our success, that opened the doors to explore and try to serve some more foods in a nontraditional way. We introduced to California (and maybe the world -- even Greece!) the original zucchini sticks with the peel on, natural fries, the natural desert water and the first to serve the famous gyro/pita/zaziki on the west coast.

Finally, combining the best cheeseburger and pastrami, we created the Onassis Burger in 1971; we also -- for over 30 years -- promoted our famous strawberry shakes, made with fresh strawberries. I guess, inadvertently, that I followed the adventuresome spirit of Jason and the Argonauts (sailors from Argos) -- Ulysses -- and that of of the poor Greek immigrant from the east coast that packed his hot dog cart and moved to the west coast, circa 1940. Once in California, with all that fresh produce around, they thought to add fresh lettuce and tomatoes or chile sauce to the All-American classic hamburger (mustard, ketchup, pickles, and onions). Among those Greeks: Tom Koulos of Famous Tommy’s in downtown LA, Jim’s, Tom’s, etc. etc. Many other individuals and chains followed: Carl’s Jr., Jack in the Box, Burger Chef, Burger King, Denny’s, Wendy’s, Big Boy, etc. Even McDonald’s!

So, with great effort, love, and expense, we brought you a bit of Greece to Baker. Please bring us your friends.

some thoughts to share ...

Since I can remember as a little boy, I dreamed of Utopia. When I first visited Disneyland as a young man, my greatest joy and favorite ride was -- and is --” It’s a Small World.” As an older man, the closest I came to my dreams, with the help of my family was to open The Mad Greek Cafe. A great Greek-Mediterranean Cafe with international flavor, where people from all over the world are welcome and celebrate life together. Think like The Mad Greek-Live as free men,love as free men. Eat and enjoy all the fruits that life bestows on you.Live life to its fullest...have fun today for tomorrow one does not know what the great man above has set aside for us It’s a small world after all ...

Thank you,

Michael Dabour, Founder

Michael Dabour