By Chisum                                              H.R. No. 126
         76R4842 MDM-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The residents of Pampa enthusiastically support a
 1-2     noted dining landmark in their community and it is fitting to join
 1-3     with them in recognizing Coney Island Cafe as it commemorates 66
 1-4     years as a successful family owned business; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, In 1933, Bill Coronis started the restaurant using
 1-6     recipes he brought from his native Greece; his nephews, John and
 1-7     Ted Gikas, began working with their uncle as boys and have managed
 1-8     the business since 1946; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, Through the years, this popular establishment has
1-10     fed thousands of coneys to generations of hungry Texans and
1-11     countless  visitors to the Pampa area; the chili dogs with
1-12     trimmings are still  a favorite meal as the cafe handles a
1-13     lunch-hour rush six days a week, 49 weeks a year, closing its doors
1-14     only for the last week of May and the first two weeks of June; and
1-15           WHEREAS, The food is satisfying, as is the entire dining
1-16     experience here; the Coney Island Cafe evokes in its longtime
1-17     customers memories of childhood meals, teenaged dates, and family
1-18     gatherings; instead of writing down orders, waitresses sing them
1-19     out to the Gikas brothers, who work side by side at the storefront
1-20     window grill greeting lifelong friends who come in for coneys and a
1-21     slice of pie from one of 20 baked by John each day; and
1-22           WHEREAS, The Gikas brothers recall some of their more
1-23     well-known visitors; Bob Wills used to wash dishes at the cafe in
1-24     the 1930s and Woody Guthrie ate there, lived upstairs for a time,
 2-1     and even wrote a song about the restaurant; and
 2-2           WHEREAS, John and Ted Gikas and their Coney Island Cafe have
 2-3     remained significant in the life of Pampa for many generations, and
 2-4     it is fitting that they be recognized at this time; now, therefore,
 2-5     be it
 2-6           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
 2-7     Legislature hereby commend John and Ted Gikas and the Coney Island
 2-8     Cafe for 66 years of providing nourishment and friendship to the
 2-9     citizens of Pampa and its visitors; and, be it further
2-10           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-11     prepared for John and Ted Gikas as an expression of high regard by
2-12     the Texas House of Representives.