George Kokkinos Margie’s Dream & Charlie’s Homestyle Diner’s | Manchester’s Best-Kept Secret | Ep 36

George Kokkinos has been feeding Manchester for over 15 years – but Margie's Dream Diner has been a neighborhood staple since 1975. That's 50 years of breakfast, lunch, and community packed into a tiny diner with just 8 booths and 5 counter seats. In this episode, Carol sits down with her longtime friend George to talk about taking over Margie's after being a regular customer for nearly 20 years, the advice Carol's father gave him before he got into the business ("You gotta be a people person, and you gotta sell a lot of eggs to make money"), his mom's spanakopita recipe that flies out the door, the secret ingredient in those legendary potato pancakes (hint: there's bacon in there), and naming Charlie's Homestyle Diner after his late father – a Manchester schoolteacher who just loved going out to breakfast. 📍 Margie's Dream Diner – 172 Hayward St, Manchester, NH 📍 Charlie's Homestyle Diner – 600 Daniel Webster Hwy, Merrimack, NH 🔗 margiesdreamdinernh.com 🔗 charlieshomestylediner.com ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL Carol Lawrence, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food – it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. 📍 Red Arrow Diner – 5 NH locations, open 24/7 🔗 redarrowdiner.com Follow Beyond the Plate: Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh TikTok: @nhbeyondtheplate Facebook: Beyond the Plate NH YouTube: @beyondtheplatewithcarol Follow Carol Erickson: Instagram: @CarolSew24 Follow Red Arrow Diner: Instagram: @redarrow24diner Facebook: Red Arrow Diner 0:00 - Intro 0:47 - George & Carol's 40-year friendship 1:23 - Where to find Margie's & Charlie's 2:18 - The story behind Margie's Dream (since 1975) 3:07 - Margie & Paul – the original owners 4:46 - Paul smoking cigarettes at the grill 😂 5:32 - How George went from electrician to diner owner 6:55 - "You gotta sell a lot of eggs to make money" – advice from Carol's dad 7:50 - Learning to cook from every cook that came through 8:26 - "I have this dream to open a restaurant" – why we're all crazy 9:55 - Manchester's best-kept secret 10:32 - How Charlie's came about (a random phone call) 12:06 - Why it's named Charlie's (after George's late father) 13:05 - George is a breakfast person, Carol is not 14:08 - Running two diners – keeping consistency 15:38 - Greek heritage on the menu – his mom's spanakopita recipe 17:21 - The legendary potato pancakes – what's the secret? 18:26 - Fresh Fish Fridays – Marge would kick you out if you ordered a burger 😂 19:23 - Walk through Margie's front door (8 booths from the Mount Washington boat!) 21:08 - Walk through Charlie's – the grill is right in the dining room 22:08 - Knowing regulars by what they order ("two dropped eggs died") 24:18 - George's father – schoolteacher, breakfast lover 27:36 - Staffing challenges & loyalty 30:01 - What small diners bring to a community 32:12 - Lightning Round 35:50 - Proudest moment – becoming a really good cook 37:56 - Closing thoughts – "Jump in and make it wor