Jean Overton of the Roxboro Area Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Center announced this week that the restaurant, which will join 25 other Mayflower Seafood restaurants, would be leasing 5,000 square feet of space for a 150-seat restaurant.

Michael and Anastasia Tsambounieris will operate the Roxboro Mayflower and the couple said Thursday that they were excited to be a part of Person County.

They are in the process of looking for a home for themselves and their two children, ages one and two, said Michael. Anastasia said they were glad to be in Roxboro and out of New York, where “there are too many people.”

The couple is looking forward to getting the restaurant open in June, when they will begin serving lunch and dinner seven days a week.

The first Mayflower restaurant was built in Winston-Salem in 1980, when Georgia and Steve Bobotsiares opened their first restaurant. Since that time, family and friends have continued to expand the restaurant chain around the southeast.

Overton said the Bobotsiareses were driving through Roxboro one day in 2006 and decided that, when the time was right, they would like to locate a restaurant here.

After their initial contact, Overton worked with the couple, helping them locate the ideal property, furnishing demographics information and answering any questions.

“It takes time for these projects to come to fruition,” Overton stated, adding that she was thrilled to have the Tsambounierises and the restaurant finally here.

Michael Tsambounieris discovered the opportunity through his sister, Roula Piperis, who operates the Roanoke Rapids Mayflower. She and relative Bill Frangos accompanied Michael and Anastasia Tsambounieris to Roxboro Thursday to meet with architect Geoffrey Hoffman of Summit Consulting Engineers.

Hoffman will handle, along with a Mayflower planner, the conversion of three spaces in the former Wal-Mart shopping center.

The Tsambounierises and Piperis said they hoped to use local contractors to do the work that will be required to transform the space into one of their restaurants.

When work is completed and the restaurant opens, it will employ about 40 people.

Piperis said that she was happy to have her brother and sister-in-law in the state and in the Mayflower family. She said the Bobotsiareses were “the best people. They are humble and honest and trusting and have given a lot of people a chance in life.”

Overton echoed the sentiment, saying that the Bobotsiareses and their son, Pete, had been “great to work with.”