Lou Pappan, the founder of the Pappan’s Family Restaurant chain, died Tuesday morning at his Patterson Heights home in Beaver County at the age of 92.
Pappan was well-known for his iconic commercials that ended with his trademark “You gonna like it.”
“He is the American dream,” his son, Demetrios, 63, said Tuesday, according to the Beaver County Times. “He came here to America for prosperity and a new life, but what he found was his love for the American people.”
A Greek immigrant who was born in 1930 as Elias Demetrios Papanikolaou, Pappan grew up in the village of Makrakomi while it was occupied by the Nazis.
He cited gratefulness for the U.S. troops that helped Greece during World War II as a motivation for his own charitable efforts. Pappan regularly hosted picnics at Bradys Run Park, where he would provide free food to upward of 20,000 senior citizens.
The first Pappan’s location opened in New Brighton in 1964, and the chain grew to about 30 restaurants. Pappan worked until his 80s before retiring.
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• Lou Pappan thanks former employees with big bash“He was special. The real deal,” his son said. “He came to America for the dream of prosperity and a new life, and he lived it to the fullest.”
Gabauer Family Funeral Homes is handling arrangements for the funeral.
