The man behind Bill & Bob's

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November 10, 2009

By Tom Dalton The Salem News Tue Nov 10, 2009, 12:00 AM EST

SALEM — Nondas Lagonakis, 73, of Salem, a successful businessman, real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist, launched his career 40 years ago this fall when he bought Bill & Bob's Famous Roast Beef in Salem.

His business eventually grew to 13 restaurants. Today, Lagonakis owns the Bill & Bob's in Salem, Woburn and Peabody, all of which are operated by his son, Angelo, and his daughter, Maria Lagonakis-McNulty.

The Bill & Bob's in Salem is about to mark the 40th anniversary of Lagonakis' ownership. Details of the anniversary specials and celebration have not yet been announced.

We recently sat down with Lagonakis at his Bridge Street restaurant.

Who were Bill and Bob?

Two friends from General Electric, and they opened in Lynn one place and here another place, and after they split Bill (Aylward) got both places. Bill sold this to me, and I kept the name.

How did you start?

I came here (from Greece) in 1961 and I come to Lynn and originally I work for my brother-in-law's restaurant, and after that I got a second job from a shoe factory. And after that I got another job working at the Clam Box in Revere on Friday nights and Saturday nights. I got three jobs for seven years.

In 1968, we (Lagonakis and Ada, his wife of 49 years) got savings of about $10,000, and that's the time I find Bill and he said he's going to sell (the Salem restaurant) for $20,000. He said, "Give me $10,000 and you pay me the rest."

I figure I'm going to pay him in five years. (But) I pay him in six months.

What was it like running your own restaurant?

I come at 7 in the morning, do all the cooking ... and I close at two o'clock in the morning.

When did you sleep?

Sometimes I sleep in the place. ... I move from Lynn to Salem and buy a house next to Bill & Bob's. ... We had a two-way radio, so we hear everything when the kids wake up and we run over there. The day my second daughter is born is the day we buy the business.

When did you start expanding?

After I buy this place, I did so well. ... I got together with Bill (Aylward), and we buy three places — a Peabody store, Woburn store and (another store) in Lynn.

Wasn't one of the restaurants called William & Robert's?

In Beverly. ... It was more of a sit-down restaurant ... a little more fancy.

Why did you sell off most of the restaurants?

Tough to get help. Plus I get older, I have a family and kids, and I've got to have time with the kids and the family.

What's the most popular item on the menu?

Roast beef. Ninety percent of sandwiches we sell are roast beef.

What's your secret?

The way we buy the beef. We buy the whole top round choice roast beef and we trim it way down, trim all the fat, all the gristle. I cook it with nothing on the roast beef, just plain. And we cook two and three times a day. It's fresh all the time.

What about the sauce?

The time I open I buy different sauces and try them out. I find one I like, and I find the factory (in Virginia) that makes it. ... I go down to the factory, and we try different sauces until we find the perfect one, not too hot, not too spicy, just mild. ... After that, I buy the same sauce from day one to today.

I'm curious, how far did you go in school?

I born in 1936 and by time I go to school it's World War II. By time I go to first grade, I'm 9 years old because school was closed those years. There was no school in the village because of war. ... I finish the sixth grade, I'm about 16. I want to go to school, but I feel ashamed because all the kids are smaller.

Where did you get your business sense?

I remember my father and mother say, "If you make $10, spend $8. Don't spend everything. Never spend more than you make." Most people make $10, spend $20.

Do you still eat roast beef sandwiches?

Every day. I can't eat pizza every day. I can't eat Chinese, but I can eat roast beef.