East Marion's Hellenic Celebrates 40 Year Anniversary with 40 Events, Reflection on Rich History

It all began with lemonade.

And now, East Marion’s Hellenic Snack Bar & Restaurant, established in 1976, is celebrating 40 years — with 40 events planned over the next 12 months to mark the landmark anniversary.

The restaurant is set to open Friday at 8 a.m. for the season with a full slate of fun ahead. “I just want it to be a giant celebration— fun, festive, filled with abundance, with people just pouring in here for a good time,” said owner George Giannaris.

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

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.

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

Today, George Giannaris and his wife Maria hold the restaurant’s vision, core values and mission close: “The vision remains the same. We wish to offer you an outstanding, hospitable, comfortable dining experience. Our mission is excellence in food, service, presentation and cleanliness.”

Core values, Giannaris said, include integrity, passion, consistency, and appreciation for the customers who have woven the Hellenic experience into the fabric of their family memories for decades.

Reflecting on the 40th anniversary year, George Giannaris, sitting with his wife at the restaurant while crews bustled Tuesday to get everything in order for Friday’s opening, smiled.

“I’m excited. I feel like it’s Year One. The restaurant’s evolved to a different level. People are getting excited about the new things we’ve added.”

Looking ahead, Giannaris has spent the winter break working tirelessly every day — only taking a day off for Christmas — to plan a full lineup of creative events to delight customers.

On opening day Friday, an “Interracial Wedding Soup” will kick off the season. “It’s what happens when a Greek attempts Italian wedding soup and has a propensity towards Asian cuisine: seasoned organic mini turkey meatballs, organic kale, organic vegetables and organic orzo, with a hot ginger-scotch bonnet kicker on the side. Thus far this wonderful, soulful entrée was on our kitchen table at least five times since we closed the restaurant,” Giannaris said.

On Groundhog Day, diners can receive either a free lemonade or a free cup of soup, depending on whether or not the groundhog sees his shadow.

Valentine’s Day weekend will mean a romantic four-course dinner and wine pairing, with a complimentary glass of Sparkling Pointe wine for those who can show a copy of Hellenic’s newsletter in their name.

The winner of a Presidents’ Week Raffle will take home a $140 gift card, and on Leap Day on February 20, guests who buy one gyro can buy another for 40 cents. St. Patrick’s Day will see a menu of pedigree Wagyu Kobe corned beef and cabbage.

And in July, when the restaurant will celebrate its actual anniversary, there will be Greek music on the lawn.

Also on the menu this year are a series of wine pairing dinners, including a Prohibition Farmers’ Ball on April 9, featuring live jazz and blues, as well a five -course pairing and offerings by Shinn Vineyards, LIV Spirits, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, and hop and mushroom farmers.

Fans of Giannaris’ first book, ”Ferry Tales” will be delighted when he releases ”Ferry Tales 2: When Hellenic Freezes Over,” with a release party slated for Saturday, June 11. The book is a continuation of Giannaris’ first book, filled with personal stories, photographs and recipes.

Also new this year are menu items named after customers’ favorite orders, including Eileen Kapell’s salad in a pita and “The Norman”, a steak sandwich named after a longtime diner.

Giannaris is candid about the challenges of operating a successful eatery today, including rising food prices, the cost of doing business and mandatory regulations, and, a minimum wage hike for waitresses of 50 percent this year — as well as many hours needed in the back office handling the business component, rather than mingling with guests or exploring new culinary journeys in the kitchen.

His work ethic was learned from his parents. “My father never took a day off,” Giannaris said, adding that his father, who still comes to Hellenic, began as a banquet waiter at the Plaza Hotel.

And today, that work ethic is evident in all Giannaris does: “The challenge is to be able to continue offering a comfortable, hospitable dining experience, one that’s not just catering to the wealthy and to tourists.”

The goal is to create a place where a family of four can go out to dinner together at an affordable price, he said. “The challenge is how I am going to go into the next 40 years and keep it a family business, not just a facade. A loving, caring family business, not some sort of prop to make money.”

His wife Maria assures Giannaris that his mission will always remain steadfast: “You always consider the customer first,” she said.

Keeping close to his customers means everything to Giannaris, and so, he’s launched a highly successful newsletter to share stories and events, a thread that keeps longtime friends and guests close even when he’s buried in paperwork in the back.

The newsletter shines with his trademark warmth and sincerity, his stories of a childhood spent with his family on the North Fork and his dreams for his sons.

Family is precious to Giannaris, who said he and Maria work seamlessly together running the restaurant and making time each year to create precious memories with their sons, traveling and sharing family moments.

And, too, for the generations of loyal customers, as well as staffers who’ve worked there for decades, Hellenic has become a family, with bonds that transcend time.

Longtime customers “basically walk right into the kitchen” to say hello, Giannaris said. “They’re more like best friends. They’ve known me longer than I’ve known them,” some recalling his childhood with fond smiles.

“One of the greatest compliments I received was when I saw a customer who hadn’t been here in 20 years — I actually recognized his face — who said, ‘Nothing’s changed. The food is the same, exactly the way I remember it.’ That means I’ve done the right thing, carried on the tradition.”

Longtime staffers include Debbie Volinski, who’s worked at Hellenic since 1977. “It’s like home to me,” she said.

With a whole new generation of visitors flocking to the North Fork, many of whom have never heard of Hellenic, Giannaris is always seeking new ways to spread the word. With 67 places to eat from Orient to Southold, Giannaris said the aim is find a way to bring diners back for an excellent culinary experience.

To that end, he’s done a food presentation at Martha Clara, and also offers a wide range of catering opportunities, including events, weddings, and even the Ultimate Super Bowl Party Takeout.

He’s entertained the notion of a food truck — wineries have expressed interest in bringing Hellenic delicacies to their clientele — but needs the right person to train with an eye toward running the truck.

With longtime values held close, Giannaris has put his own touch on the restaurant, shaping its future with care and finesse. “I think it’s a bad thing for someone to inherit everything. I think it loses its value because they haven’t earned it. No one could ever accuse me of not earning this,” he said. Not only did he work for the restaurant for two decades before his father transitioned the business to his son’s watchful care, but he’s worked tirelessly ever since, creating events, introducing organic recipes, and celebrating Hellenic’s rich history.

He’s quick to credit his “unbelievable family,” including his parents, in-laws, grandparents and children. “I have a really great family,” Giannaris said. “It’s a good testimony to how important family is for the success of anything — those foundations are so important.”

Deeply ingrained values, a respect and appreciation for the history of a restaurant that’s meant a lifetime of memories for generations, and a menu that delights — all intertwine to create a bastion of North Fork life that’s marking a milestone anniversary.

Giannaris said he believes all who enter his restaurant, clientele or staff, should leave touched by the experience.

To his staff, he has said, “I don’t expect you to spend the rest of your life working with Hellenic. That’s not realistic. But if you stay here or leave, I want you to be a better person than when you came in. You have to be going up a notch. A better employee, communicator — or just that the experience of working at Hellenic may have launched you into a dream career you might not have thought you’d have been able to handle. You’ve become a better person. That’s my goal.”

The words are borne of wisdom: “That’s what 40 years will do to you,” Giannaris said. “It goes beyond money. It really boils down to people. When you take something perishable and put it in someone’s mouth to eat, it’s extremely personal. It’s got to be a personal experience. You’re not making cars, or suitcases.”

To his customers, he said, “I am looking forward to seeing you. I want to thank you in person for making Hellenic a North Fork landmark for 40 great years.”

After the interview, Giannaris went straight back to work, wearing a sweatshirt that said it all: “Life gave us lemons,” it said. “And we made lemonade.”

Hellenic Restaurant & Snack Bar will be open on Friday at 8 a.m. through 9:30 p.m.

For a full list of ”40 Years, 40 Events,” click here.