Hellenic Restaurant Marks Milestone 50 Years With Opening Night Celebration: Photo Gallery

NORTH FORK, NY — A happy crowd filled the Hellenic Restaurant in East Marion Friday night, kicking off the eatery's 50th year with smiles, laughter — and memories of a beloved destination and family business on the North Fork that has become a touchstone for generations.

A special "cocktail and appetizers" event kicked off the new season.

In an announcement for the 50th anniversary kickoff cocktail event, owner George Giannaris wrote: "Fifty seasons of early mornings, shared meals, familiar faces, and the kind of memories that only happen here on the North Fork. We are so grateful to be celebrating this milestone with you."

He added: "Let’s raise a glass to the past, the present, and all that is still to come," Giannaris said. "We cannot wait to welcome you back."

The toasts were many at Hellenic Friday night, the tables filled with smiling, happy guests, laughing and reminiscing in a space that has brought years of memories and joy.

Speaking with Patch, George and Maria Giannaris' nephew and godson George Christoforou spoke of family ties and values that mean everything — a hallmark not just of the business, but of the their very lives.

(George Giannaris and his nephew and godson George Christoforou).

"If we could replicate, or do even 50 percent, of what parents have done for us — making us all so close — then our kids will be in a good spot," Christoforou said.

Lifetime friends, some dating back to kindergarten, gathered at Hellenic Friday, eager to raise a glass and celebrate ties that go back decades — those friendships a testament to the Giannaris' family's character and heart, to loyalty and, above, all, to love.

In an earlier interview, Giannaris spoke with Patch about Hellenic's enduring legacy.

(George Giannaris and his lifetime friend Ted Koukounas)

Giannaris welcomed his friend since childhood Ted Koukounas warmly; the two met at the cottages Hellenic once had and have been bonded for life, ever since.

"We're more like brothers," Koukounas said. "We have the same things we like to do together. We swim together, fish together — we eat together, we travel together."

Koukounas said he and his wife Susan have sons, Dean and Nicholas, around the same age as George and Maria's sons Yianni and Savvas.

"We're just always happy when we're together," Koukounas, a math teacher, said of his lifetime friend. "We enjoy each other. We do the fun stuff but also the serious, too — we talk about business."

Reflecting on Hellenic's 50 years, Koukonas said: "I'm really proud of what George has accomplished. The amount of time and energy he puts into delivering quality food — and the integrity he brings to everything he does, from both the business and personal perspectives."

(Lisa Finn / Patch)

Rick Coffey spoke about his longtime friendship with Giannaris.

"My wife Ellie and I first went to Hellenic in the spring of 2002. It was extremely busy at the restaurant — a particularly hot day on Memorial Day Weekend," he said. "George and his father were standing side by side at the grill, cooking and assembling a never-ending stream of orders. Out in front, Anna and Maria were running the packed dining room with calm and quiet precision. Anna was moving from table to table making sure every guest was happy, while Maria kept everything flowing, checking the orders, answering the phone, and coordinating a steady stream of take-out requests."

He added: "So this was the Hellenic Snack Bar and Restaurant. The family-run, North Fork institution that had been serving the community since 1976. The place that we had heard so much about from everyone we had told we were moving to the North Fork. 'Unbelievable', I said to Ellie, "and they’re our next-door neighbors. Nice!'"

Over the years, he said, "living next door to Hellenic allowed our friendship with George and Maria, and with John and Anna, to grow much deeper than simply being customers. I would often wake up before sunrise to meet George at the restaurant while he prepared for the day ahead. Those quiet early morning moments were when he would talk about the realities of running a seasonal restaurant, the long hours, the unpredictability of unexpected crises and challenges, and the enormous dedication required from them and every member of his team, from the servers and cooks to the dishwasher."

George, Coffey said, often spoke about his desire to build on his father’s dream and make Hellenic even better each year.

"I am not sure if people fully realize how difficult it is to run a restaurant, much less one that has thrived for nearly 50 years," Coffey said. "It means weekends, nights, and holidays — year after year — all done out of a deep commitment to the customers and the community that the Giannaris family has served for generations."

Coffey and his wife were among those gathered to celebrate Friday night.

"What makes Hellenic so special to us is not just the food — which is amazing — it is the Giannaris family and their lifelong commitment to always being there," he said. "For a half a century, George, Maria and their family have created a place where locals and visitors alike feel at home, welcomed, remembered, and cared for. On the North Fork, Hellenic is not just another restaurant, it is — and hopefully will be for 50 more years — an integral part of the fabric of the North Fork community."

Others spoke about their deep love not just for Hellenic and the delicious Greek fare that Giannaris prepares with such attention and care — but about the friendships born.

(Lisa Finn / Patch)

"A family-owned business for 50 years. Great, indescribably delicious food, great staff, great venue! If Hellenic rented rooms, I'd move in!" said Marie Domenici, a longtime diner and friend.

(Lisa Finn / Patch)

Hellenic’s history is rich with family ties and core values, Giannaris told Patch in a past interview. When George Giannaris’ Uncle Gus Hartofelis decided to buy “Brown’s Cabins” in 1976, he asked John Giannaris, George’s father, to be his partner.

(Lisa Finn / Patch)

While his Uncle Gus was more interested in real estate and rentals, his father was dedicated to running the little snack bar on the east side of the property, Giannaris said.

Back in 1976, the Hellenic Snack Bar, a six-stool, four-table shack, was born, offering burgers, hot dogs — and a fresh-squeezed lemonade that had customers lining up around the block.

That lemonade still draws crowds today.

Although the eatery expanded in 1983, the Hellenic Restaurant has always stayed true to its roots and core values espoused by John Giannaris and his wife Anna.

(John Giannaris / Courtesy George Giannaris)

And, though John passed away in 2023, his heart and mission are carried carefully forward, entrusted to the next generation, as Hellenic commences its 50th year.

(Courtesy George and Maria Giannaris)

Today, George Giannaris and his wife Maria hold the restaurant’s core values close. “The vision remains the same," Giannaris has told Patch.

And this year, the 50th, Giannaris aims to celebrate not just family — his and Maria's own sons Yianni and Savvas have long been bright lights on the Hellenic canvas — but with the community that means everything to Giannaris

"Over the winter break, I had a couple of months to focus on my 50th year," Giannaris told Patch. "Usually, I'm thinking about how I'm going to improve things for the restaurant, but this year had to be different — because it was a major milestone."

He added: "I also had many, many thoughts about my father, and how he ran the business for so many years. I think the key to his success was that he was actively involved in every aspect of the business, but more so that he cared genuinely about the customers. Alongside my mom, they did all that they could to always serve the best."

At the heartbeat of all his parents endeavored to do, Giannaris said, was one resounding truth: "They never compromised or cut corners on anything."

Remembering his father, Giannaris said he began to think about the community who have long been an integral part of his family's dream and vision.

"Part of the reason why we stayed afloat for so many years, especially in the off season, was because of our local community," he said. "And, of course, over 50 years, there are a lot of changes, people move away, unfortunately pass away, the region changes, and I wanted to make sure that the new members of our community are the priority of my restaurant, just like they were 50 years ago."

To that end, he added: "This year, Maria and I decided that we would put even more focus on the North Fork community."

Giannaris has planned a series of many special events to mark the 50th year as a "'thank you' to the locals who have supported us for so many years."

To start, Giannaris said he has embarked upon a series of renovation to Hellenic "so that newcomers and long-standing customers alike would appreciate our focus on being relevant for them."

And there are, too, a series of new initiatives created with clientele in mind and hearts.

"One of the greatest responses that we've had is toward our Workers' Compensation Card," Giannaris said.

(Courtesy George Giannaris)

Giannaris decided to give all the local businesses printed cards, similar to the feel of a credit card, that business owners can then give to their employees.

"When an employee comes for lunch from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, they're able to get a significant discount on their lunch," Giannaris said. "So the average lunch, which would normally cost around $30 or $35, is going to cost $20 for them," he said.

Also set to delight this year are Thursday night "feasts."

"My life has been centered around my family and family gatherings around a dinner table," Giannaris said. "On Thursday nights, we serve our 'feast.' The Feast was actually originally called 'The Appetizer Platter' by my dad, and it's a sampling of everything that's on the menu."

Describing the Thursday night "Feast Like A Greek" events, which kick off on March 12 and take place at 5 p.m.; dine-in only, Giannaris gave a peek at the menu:

"Calamari, Berkshire pork souvlaki, chicken souvlaki, beef gyro, stuffed grape leaves, which we make by hand, fried eggplant, zucchini, our homemade spinach pie, our yogurt sauce, the tzatziki — which we actually make the yogurt for in house — our taramasalata, which is a caviar spread, skordalia — which is our garlic sauce, with fried eggplant and zucchini. All of this is on one platter. Typically, it costs around $190 for four people," he said. " On Thursday nights, dine in, we're offering it for $100 for four. And for two people, $75."

(Courtesy George Giannaris)

At the heart of every plan and idea is a deep and abiding love for people — for family and friends, the community and new faces, Giannaris said.

And as Hellenic celebrates its 50th year, that innate joy found when sharing a meal or a cocktail with loved ones resonates.

"We also wanted to embrace a little bit of the celebration of life," Giannaris said.

That's what prompted the new Friday Night Cocktail parties.

"I decided on Friday nights from 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., through the winter months, before Memorial Day, and after Labor Day, to do a cocktail hour, where, for $25, you get a complimentary beverage, either wine, beer, non-alcoholic drink, or one of our delicious handcrafted mocktails," Giannaris said.

The evenings also include delectable passed appetizers.

Continuing on Tuesday nights, he said, Hellenic's homemade gelato will be offered for half price "until it's gone. It was a big success last year. Our gelato is made from scratch, using all natural ingredients, and it's delicious. I think everybody should make a little time midweek to get a special treat."

Unveiling the renovations, Giannaris said the lighting in the restaurant was changed, "creating a really excellent mood. We replaced the tables with nice stone tops in the pavilion, and we plan on doing a lot more to our outdoor space as the season progresses."

(Lisa Finn / Patch)

Family remains the essence of all he has achieved and hopes to share as Giannaris helms the business forward into its next decades.

"My parents taught me how to work, and that work ethic has carried me throughout my life," he said. "It's allowed me to achieve far more than I could ever imagine. And because of my diverse interests, I have been able to embrace my passions, full force."

Those same values have been poured into his two sons, Giannaris said.

(Lisa Finn / Patch)

His own parents' lessons live on in his precious children, Giannaris said.

"I think the tradition of embracing what you love, and working hard toward it, was one of the greatest gifts my parents could have given to me — and one of the greatest gifts I could have passed on to my children."

But at Hellenic, family is not only created by blood, Giannaris said.

"The only reason why I could pursue my passions and continue to renovate the restaurant and pour myself into it is because I have a rock-solid staff," he said. "I have employees that have worked for me for 48 years. I think the youngest member on my staff has been with me for two years; the average 15. I think we embrace each other at the restaurant."

(Lisa Finn / Patch)

All who work tirelessly at Hellenic to create a joyful experience for diners share core values, he said.

Greeting friends old and new Friday night, Giannaris and Maria were filled with joy as they shared memories, telling stories about the people that have given their lives meaning since their earliest days.

(Lisa Finn / Patch)

Reflecting on opening night, Giannaris said: "There was so many lifelong friends and so many lifelong customers that the line was blurred — and that felt really good."

(Lisa Finn / Patch)