After one name change, three locations and a combined 40 years in business, a popular East Cobb area restaurant is throwing in the Windex and calling it a career. Christos Giannes, 65, owner of Kouzina Christos, made the vague announcement on his restaurant's Facebook page early Monday. "FYI...Open for service Saturday till..." read the post which received several comments from concerned longtime patrons.
"Kouzina Christos will be closing after service Saturday December 5th. I have decided to curtail talks with landlord over options to remain operational. My heart goes out to the independent operators, their staffs and their families, struggling to navigate the unknown and unpredictable course of Covid-9. The flaccid and shortsighted response from local, state and national sources for support to buttress businesses who's loss will negatively affect business viability, employees, their families, the community, the schools is laughable. The losses to the foundation, the fabric that buttress our communities will be felt for many years. My fantastic staff and I will take a long overdue break while looking at options to re-imagine the next chapter of Kouzina Christos."
Throughout all the moves, the restaurant's core menu remained essentially the same, specializing in calzones, gyros and grinders, but the 2012 name change brought an elevated offering which added more depth to the menu and also emphasized sit-down service. Sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta that Christos was considering closing months before the pandemic but that the shutdown and substantial drop in sales that resulted were the final straw that made Christos' decision for him.
Those looking to enjoy the Giannes' family food and their authentic Greek recipes, look no further than Avondale Estates (and next year Brookhaven) where John "Johnny" Gianoulidis, 55, Christos' younger brother, operates Kafenio and will open The Greek Pizzeria & Gyros in 2021 along Clairmont Road in Brookhaven.
Will you miss Kouzina Christos? What is your favorite Greek dish? What type of restaurant would you like to see open in place of Kouzina Christos?
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