(Louis Themistokleous, his daughter Cattina and her husband Eric Giumetti, in front of Duxbury Pizza which has been around for 40 years and counting.)

Duxbury has undergone some major changes in the last 40 years, but one constant is Duxbury Pizza located on Standish Street. The original Duxbury Pizza was opened in the spring of 1972 by Louis Themistokleous and his wife Kathy a few doors down from the current location. “We had an old-fashioned ice cream soda fountain and everything,” said Themistokleous. “We had the old-fashioned hard ice cream, the scoops, even the red stools.”

The business has moved locations a few times, from Standish Street, to the old A&P lot and then back to Standish Street in 1987, where it resides now. During its 40 years, not much has changed: Duxbury Pizza continues to be a hangout for kids and a great place to eat in or pick up food. However, this year, the ownership is changed, Themistokleous recently passed the business on to his daughter and son-in law Cattina and Eric Giumetti who now run the shop.

“The heart and soul will remain the same,” said Cattina. “We hope after the summer to start adding some authentic Greek foods to the menu. It’s something we’ve talked about for awhile now.”

As for his kids taking over the business, Themistokleous is very excited.

“There’s room for changes, why not?” said Themistokleous, who will continue to have a role in the business. “I’m going to be the maintenance man. I do my own maintenance on the machines and everything.”

“My dad owns the building, so he’ll be our landlord,” said Cattina.

As for keeping things as delicious as they have been for the last 40 years it shouldn’t be too difficult for Cattina and Eric, who have both worked at Duxbury Pizza for many years.

“Eric didn’t realize that his prom date came with a business,” said Cattina, who has been with Eric since high school. The pair came back and worked at Duxbury Pizza after college and the business remains very family-oriented. In addition to their own two kids, many nieces and nephews in town work for them over the summer months.

When asked what the best part about owning Duxbury Pizza has been, the answer from all was the same -- the customers.

“The customer interactions, it’s a living,” said Eric. “Some of our customers we went to high school with are bringing their kids here now.”

Cattina and her father nodded in agreement while the trio sat at a table in their restaurant.

“In a community like Duxbury, your customers become your family,” said Cattina. “I have people come in and say, ‘Oh, I’m always talking to my kids about that Italian sub I would get here as a child and we just wanted to come and have our kids try it now.’ We are definitely on the third gen-eration with our customers.”

For Themistokleous, the kids have always been a great part of the business. When he first opened he remembers telling young men who were ‘troublemakers’ that he would never kick them out as long as they behaved.

“Generally the kids are very good, they behave themselves here, they are good kids, even the troublemakers,” Themistokleous said. “They call me Papoo which means grand-father, all the little kids.”

After running Duxbury

Pizza for four decades, Themistokleous has a message for his customers: thank you.

“Without them, I would not exist,” said Themistokleous. “All of my successes I owe to them, they’ve been my patrons for years.”

As for Duxbury Pizza, it appears that it will continue to be a Duxbury landmark for many years to come. And for that, Duxbury is grateful.