"They are the hardest-working, most wonderful people I have ever met. I couldn't ask for better people to work for or to know."

That's what Charlene Gates had to say about her employers, Katerina and Andreas Andrinopoulos and employers around the world know that that kind of loyalty is invaluable.

"I've worked for a lot of people over the years," Charlene continued, "but the last three years, since I started working for them have been the best by far. And since I've had my baby, they've been especially wonderful as they have always been willing to arrange schedules to accommodate my needs as well as theirs."

Charlene went on to describe Katerina and Andreas as people who always need to do everything "right" -- by the rules -- and that's not always the case in industries where bills are often paid in cash and need not necessarily go through the books, she assured me.

Katerina and Andreas are also people who support other local businesses even if it costs a little more. In other words, not only do they provide a salaries for the people who work directly for them but they also, indirectly, help support untold other folks who work for those other local businesses.

"That's just the kind of people they are," Charlene enthused and they treat all of their employees the same. Their daughter, Yiota, works for them too and most often in other workplaces a family member will be treated differently ... but not at Katerina's Place. Yiota gets treated just like the rest of us ... and that's the way she wants it.

"It really says a lot about people when their children turn out nice too'," she concluded.

Life hasn't been easy for Katerina and Andreas. Family is of utmost importance to them but they had to leave both of their families behind when they left Greece and moved to Canada via Germany where Andreas served in the army for two years.

For their first few years here, in Kitsilano actually, Andreas worked as a bartender and a janitor and, because she spoke very little English at the time, Katerina would hide away at the back of restaurants willing only to accept jobs as a dishwasher. They worked long, hard hours.

ut then, ten years after arriving in Canada, they had saved enough money to open Katerina's Place and any thoughts about taking days off at all disappeared.

Charlene says she always laughs when customers come in and ask if Katerina is cooking that night. "She's always cooking ... seven days a week," she smiled. "And Andreas is always there too. In fact he comes in five or six hours early on Sunday to take care of all the plants in the restaurant."

So, given that they have worked seven days a week for the past 25 years with very few holidays to visit their beloved Greece, you won't be surprised to learn that they are finally looking to sell the restaurant and retire.

This column -- a complete surprise to them -- is one of their pre-retirement presents from Charlene.

"Mom will have tears in her eyes when she sees this," Yiota smiled, "tears of joy."

Well Katerina and Andreas, as your grandchildren would say, it's time to "kick back" and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Thanks for all you've done for our city.

Do you work for an exceptional employer or employee? What is it that makes them exceptional? Wouldn't it be fun to secretly nominate them as a Neighbourhood Hero and then present them with one of our Neighbourhood Heroes certificates? Every person nominated gets one.