Our food is freshly made daily, good prices and our service is always with a smile. OUR Story
Deb’s Diner Café was opened by Chris Klimentos and his daughter Debbie in 2011 as a venture where the two could share their passion for good food, friendly service and as a tribute to the classic American diner concept after years of living in the USA. Originally born in Mazotos, Cyprus in 1946 Chris was one of 12 siblings. His father loved North America so much that he regularly traveled there to work and would often talk of the great opportunities that lay in this exciting, vast country. With these stories in mind, Chris’ father boarded his three sons on a boat to America when Chris was 15 and the young entrepreneur secured his first job washing plates at a diner. He then moved on up to become grill man, eventually reaching the position of Head Chef through sheer hard work and enthusiasm for the vision he had to one day own his own business. At the age of 21 Chris’ work ethic paid off and he managed to open his first pizzeria. Word soon spread about the legendary pizza of ‘Chris the Greek’ and by 2010 he had opened a total of 13 Pizzerias/Restaurants in New Jersey, USA – some which still operate under his name to this day. Chris was most famous for the free slice of pizza he offered everyone who walked into his pizzerias, and his loyal and regular customers came from all walks of life, from firemen and police officers to bankers and beyond. Thanks to this generosity and his social contributions towards the communities where he operated, he was honored several times by the local authorities. Debbie Klimentos Kyriakides was born and raised in New Jersey, USA. From the age of 8 she helped her father by serving drinks to customers and preparing pizza boxes at Chris’ Pizzeria and would relish the time spent there with her father, watching the way he interacted with customers and the pride and care he took in preparing his ‘secret recipe’. As she became older she took on more responsibilities at the family business then upon completing her BA in Media Arts at New Jersey City University she moved to Cyprus and began a career in television, opening her own production studio and teaching and leading video editing seminars at the University of Nicosia. In 2011, Leroy Merlin Cyprus held a competition to lease and operate the cafeteria in their building. Debbie saw the perfect opportunity to recreate her days in America with her dad, Chris, by her side and a handpicked team. Their presentation and food tasting – which included Chris’ famous pizza and other dishes -subsequently won them the competition, and the concept of Deb’s Diner Café was brought to life. Deb’s Diner Cafe has since become known for its tasty Chris’ pizza, hot plates, freshly brewed coffee, delicious home-made desserts and the positive, warm and friendly service that always comes with a smile. Sadly, in February 2017, tragedy hit Deb’s Diner Café when Chris suffered a sudden heart attack and passed away 24 hours later at the age of 70. It was a shock to his family, team and his regular customers for whom he had become a familiar figure of heart, energy, compassion and that unmistakable upbeat attitude. Today, Debbie continues to run the business on her own in honor and memory of the great man she called ‘dad’ – the one who instilled in her from a young age the ethic of working hard and always with passion and love for what you do. Her goal remains to keep her father’s great recipes alive and to always offer good food and good service… with a smile! Chris’ business motto: “If we please you, tell others, if not… tell Chris”.
