It's a community staple on Centre Street in Brockton, but lately customers cannot help but miss the man who was always behind the counter at Supreme House of Pizza.
Owner James "Jimmy" Lambrakis died suddenly after a heart attack last month. He was 65.
His family who runs the restaurant temporarily shut down after his passing.
"We couldn't go on. He was our rock," his son Manny Lambrakis said.
This week the family found the strength to reopen without him, but they had no idea how many customers would be there to support them.
The community launched the "Supreme Challenge" on social media, urging customers to eat at the restaurant every day this week. They hope to help the family pay for the funeral and make up for the cost of closing.
"They've always been great to us but it really shows how much they actually loved us," Lambrakis said. "It's a really tough time and they came in full support of us."
Massachusetts
The latest news from around the state
The family says support and the service the restaurant is known for will not go away.
They plan on honoring their father's legacy not just with pictures that now hang in the restaurant, but also with a new sign out front in the future.
"He was all of it and I believe he's still here," customer Tami Mahoney said. "He'll always be here."
