I’ve always loved breakfast. I think the fact that you’ve seen my gleeful face perched in wait over numerous plates of waffles, eggs and gravy bears that out.

But in the local breakfast scene, no one can hold a hash brown to the Pappas family.

If you’ve never been to a true “family-run” restaurant, you need to take a trip downtown or to Franklinton to visit Tommy’s Diner, Milo’s Deli or the Capitol Café. In those three establishments, you’ll find members of the Pappas family hard at work, showing you how families really do work together. Parents Tommy and Kathy are busy at the diner, along with their son Michael. Their older son Louie bounces back and forth between the deli and the café. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and extended family members have all joined in. Through their efforts, the Pappas family has made a name for themselves, and become a nexus for Columbus restaurants: they share family and friend connections with places as diverse as Honey Dip Donuts & Diner, Easy Street Café and Jimmy V’s.

The family’s first big venture, Tommy’s Diner, opened in 1989. Tommy and Kathy renovated an old drive-in on West Broad Street in Franklinton. When Louie and Michael were old enough, they began working at the restaurant, doing everything from driving deliveries to serving as line cooks. It didn’t take long before regulars made the restaurant a mainstay of the neighborhood. The customers are so dedicated that after a fire gutted the restaurant in 1998, it was the regular patrons who urged the Pappas family to rebuild and re-open.

The diner itself is an institution, both as an anchor for the Franklinton neighborhood and as a tribute to the way diners ought to be. Bright red booths, a long curving counter, checkered floors and retro kitsch welcome regulars to their seats. You can feast on all the classics, too: gyro omelets, steak and eggs, buttermilk pancakes, plus daily specials like eggs benedicts and corned beef hash.

But one restaurant was not enough. In 1998, Tommy and Kathy partnered with Kathy’s sister Demetra to open a deli just up the street. They named it Milo’s after the two boys: Michael and Louie. When Louie graduated college in 2000, his father approached him about managing the new business. Louie asked to take the summer off to think about it, and was told, “You have until Sunday.” Needless to say, he said yes.

Just like the diner, the deli has become synonymous with Franklinton. Customers enjoy deli breakfasts like lox and eggs, pita sandwiches and paninis made with deli meats, scrambled eggs and cheese. The restaurant also serves as a base for Catering By Milo’s. Louie has led the business to become one of the city’s busiest caterers, serving meals at Ohio State, Children’s Hospital, Franklin Park Conservatory, and the Ohio Statehouse. A quarter of their catering business is just serving breakfast.

The Statehouse connection drew the family’s interest when management put out a call for bids on their basement café space earlier this year. Louie made a proposal to operate the café and serve as in-house caterer for the state capitol, and this past July opened the Capitol Café by Milo’s.

Louie calls it a “confluence of both Tommy’s and Milo’s,” mixing favorites from the diner as well as specials from the deli. The result is a restaurant that actually has a personality, compared to the previous café, which was essentially a cafeteria. The beautiful space, located on the lower floor of the Statehouse near the museum and gift shop, boasts vaulted brick ceilings, beautiful wooden seats and even a bar.

The Capitol Café is now a favorite of the downtown crowd. Customers are drawn to fresh-made food and specials like the Italian benedict, which layers prosciutto and capicola with a sun-dried tomato pesto on top of polenta. Another favorite is the Cobb omelet, with turkey, bacon and fresh guacamole. The menu and the location provide a unique dining experience for downtown workers and Statehouse visitors alike.

All three restaurants have seen success, but of course, there are always challenges to working with family. Louie laughed when he described how many times his father “fired” he and his brother from the diner. “Dad once fired us both and then made us stand out back and wait for Mom to come get us,” he said. Despite all that, the family continues their work together.

And you don’t have to be a Pappas to be treated like family. Their restaurants’ staying power has been their hospitality. Customers to any of the three Pappas joints are welcomed like relatives, and that’s what keeps them returning.

Where you can join the family for breakfast:

Tommy’s Diner
914 W Broad St.
(614) 224-2422
www.tommysdiner.com

Milo’s Deli
980 W Broad St.
(614) 224-0104
www.milosdeli.com

Capitol Café by Milo’s
1 Capitol Square (inside the Ohio Statehouse)
(614) 728-9231
www.ohiostatehouse.org