If you’re having trouble deciding where to eat, you can always go to one of Giorgios Bakastias’s many restaurants. Bakastias has a restaurant empire across North Carolina. He owns 13 state-wide locations, 4 of which are in Chapel Hill. His restaurants vary in style from Greek, to Classic American, to Japanese.
Bakastias was born and raised in a small village called Karitsa in the region of Evretania, Greece. He has been in the United States since he started adulthood. He dreamed of coming to America when he was a boy, and he dreamed of opportunity.
“When you live in a village, you live in the moment,” said Bakastias. “You have to be in the moment because you have to admire your life because it also means survival.”
Bakastias described living in the moment through the definition of travel and imagination.
“The availability of having an education was to help me to travel. To travel around the world is to learn and to have a huge imagination. If you go with a sense of judgment, then you will not have good times. From my early childhood, I would save money and travel. What we can learn from each other is unlimited.”
These experiences influenced Bakastias to start his many restaurants and inspired the different styles of food in each location.
Though he spent much of his time traveling, Bakastias came to America with little knowledge of the language or people. But with hard work and passion, he became successful in the restaurant business all over North Carolina and right here in Chapel Hill.
“When I first came to North Carolina people were so kind and caring. People took me under their wing and the generosity of the people helped me so much and gave me a place here,” said Bakastias. “When you come into a community and have the gratitude of serving yourself, you have to see that the community gives so much back to you. I never felt like I was out of my place and I never felt like I was discriminated against.”
Bakastias has also observed the openness of the community of Chapel Hill. “We all have to serve a community, and we have all give back to other people which is something I’ve noticed among the people here.”
While he has become a part of his community, he still reflects on the importance of his Greek culture on his life, stating that his culture has “layers of sole history and wisdom involved.”
