Dr. David Maletzky congratulates Jack and Pearl Marcus. Both had birthdays today and met with friends at the Marcus Dairy restaurant.

DANBURY -- Jack Marcus celebrated his 90th birthday in a very familiar place. The Danbury man made his daily trek to Marcus Dairy Bar on Tuesday.

He enjoyed some soup and talked with customers. He looked around and made sure everything was clean.

As he soaked in the scene at the business he and his wife, Pearl, started in 1948, she was sitting nearby -- celebrating her own 88th birthday the same day.

"I like coming here," Jack explained. "It's something to do. They like to see me here."

This week's birthday celebration for the Marcus couple went beyond honoring their age. It was also a celebration of the company's long family history.

Jack's father, Harry, and his family, started a small dairy farm in Sharon in the early 1900s. In 1919, they moved to Ridgebury, now part of Danbury. In 1924, the business began selling milk door-to-door.

They still do today, said Neil Marcus, Jack's son and president of Marcus Dairy. The business delivers to about 1,800 door-to-door customers.

They also have a bustling Sugar Hollow Road restaurant and dairy bar, a processing plant that produces about 150,000 gallons of milk every week, and 3,000 commercial customers.

Neil Marcus, also a Danbury attorney, said the business has stayed strong because of the groundwork his parents set. His dad laid down the cardinal rules of hard work, honesty and optimism.

"You don't cut corners with your customers. You don't cut corners with your help," Neil said. And don't forget the details.

"Dad comes in and he still works," said Neil. "He'll get a cup of coffee, get a paper off the floor, make sure someone cleans a window, looks at deliveries to see how much groceries are costing him."

Michael Marcus, another son of Jack and Pearl, ran the day to day business from the early 1970s to the early 1990s. His dad's penchant for noticing everything left a lasting impact.

"Dad always felt if you worked on the small things, the big things would come right along," he said.

The small things would sometimes include a few gallons of milk donated to a local fair or charity.

"That's what makes it a local business, different than a nationally run business," he said.

Sitting with her son Jeffrey, the company's chief financial officer, Pearl Marcus said she visits the restaurant less than her husband does. But that doesn't stop her from enjoying the memories.

"I enjoyed working with people. We love to see the old-timers that still come in," she said.

Moments earlier, a long-time customer echoed her thoughts. David Maletzky, a local dentist, said he started coming to the restaurant 27 years ago.

The Marcus family and the welcoming atmosphere keep him coming back.

"It's a landmark in Danbury," Maletzky said.