Spiros was born in Biddeford and named after his grandfather who immigrated from Greece in the early 1900’s.

Subsequent to a long government service career in our nation’s capital, Spiros and his wife decided to move back to Biddeford and make one of the renovated former mills their new home. He also embarked on a journey to research his family’s story and the role that Greek immigrants played in our community. We get to benefit from his efforts to preserve the stories and pictures, especially from his family’s business, the Wonderbar Restaurant, which was the site of so many personal and political events in our city.

“That’s what so exciting to me about being back is to see its resurgence… To see all these young entrepreneurs, sort of like my father and his brothers, starting a business in their early 20’s.”

SPIROS DROGGITIS

INTERVIEW DETAILS

Date of Interview: September 15, 2019
Location: Droggitis residence, Biddeford Maine
Interviewer: Nicole Morin-Scribner
Transcriber: Nicole Morin-Scribner

LINK TO INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

SELECTED INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

●     How several Greek families came to Biddeford and the businesses that they started.
●     How his father, in his early 20’s,and uncle started “Charles’ Café”. The evolution of the Wonderbar restaurant, including how it got that name.
●     Working at the Wonderbar from the age of 7 and life for a family in the restaurant business.
●     Stories of how the Wonderbar served as a community hub for politics and people at all levels
●     Growing up in Biddeford during the 1950’s/1960’s; transitioning to Bowdoin and Washington DC
●     His first experience spending the day with Senator Muskie
●     1979: big year! New job with Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Three Mile Island, family illnesses, getting married, the Energy Crisis
●      How he maintained his connection to Biddeford and why he decided to return after retiring from a 35+ year career in federal government service.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Birthplace:  Biddeford, Maine
Education:   Biddeford High School
                     Bowdoin College
Ethnic Identification: American of Greek descent

PICTURES AND ADDITIONAL INFO