When a customer came into a Manchester Street car dealership Saturday and mentioned he was attending a Christmas party at Veano's that afternoon, employee Allen Stewart's eyes widened.

"I said, 'They're open?' " the 40-year-old Barnstead resident recalled.

On a weekly basis, Stewart had been driving by the site of the Concord institution's new Pembroke Crossing location to peer in the windows, hoping each time that it would be ready for business. Yesterday, with his wife, Diane, seated across the table, he tasted realization.

"I got it," Stewart said. "My onion roll with the quarter-pound roast beef."

Veano's Italian Kitchen, with its vast assortment of Italian, American and Greek offerings, made itself a household name for 34 years on Loudon Road. But in December 2007, it closed down after two of the founding brothers who had moved back to Greece sold the property to Walgreens.

At the time, Billy Georgopoulos, the youngest of the four brothers, made known his intention to open a new location. So began the rumor

mill, as devotees clamored for information about when Veano's would reopen and where.

At first, Georgopoulos, 55, said he had planned to stay on Loudon Road in Concord, but he didn't find many options there. In June, he decided on a new location adjacent to The Meat House, 16 Sheep Davis Road in Pembroke. He went to work renovating the empty space and soon began fending off multiple calls per day asking for an opening date.

David Jodoin, Pembroke's town administrator, said residents even turned to town hall for tips.

"Everybody kept coming in here asking, 'When's it opening? When's it opening?' " he said.

Georgopoulos started telling people he would open Dec. 12, but then a state inspection scheduled for last week pushed everything back. Eventually, the buzz began to spread that the opening was finally set for this weekend.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, based on word of mouth alone, a line of about 40 gathered outside the restaurant, Georgopoulos said. The restaurant has been packed ever since.

"I didn't advertise, nothing," he said. "I expected it to be busy, but not that crazy."

A grand opening is still planned for sometime after the holidays, but the soft opening has garnered more than enough business. Since Saturday, Veano's has agreed to cater at least 15 parties.

Though it's a bit smaller - the previous location held about 140 diners, while the new one seats just over 90 - the Veano's many remember fondly is the Veano's they will find, Georgopoulos said.

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