Carol and Gus Parpas opened Christos in June, 1988 at 2632 Nicollet Avenue South, a space that started as a furniture store in the ‘20s and closed as a hardware store in the early ‘80s. In the late eighties, Nicollet Avenue, once the main artery leading into downtown, had become run down north of Lake Street despite the positive impact of several successful business, including the Black Forest Inn, a landmark on the corner of 26th Street. This decline was the result of the closing of Nicollet at Lake Street to build K-Mart! This unfortunate decision by the Minneapolis City Council has been reconsidered and negotiations are underway with K-Mart to reopen Nicollet.

Following the arrival of Christos and the influx of small businesses, Nicollet Avenue experienced a renaissance. Today, ethnic restaurants and markets line both sides of the Avenue, which has been renamed by one of the most prominent local food critics as “Eat Street”.

Christos began by offering classic Greek cuisine, with a few specialties from the island of Cyprus, but gradually expanded its menu to include many contemporary dishes combining traditional ingredients in innovative ways. Many of the new dishes are garnered from the annual culinary expeditions to Greece organized and escorted by Gus and Carol. Others are based on recipes share by family members of frequent trips to the owners' native island of Cyprus.

In 1996, Christos expanded to the Union Depot, the renovated train station in Saint Paul. While serving as a restaurant and bar, this architecturally spectacular space is a first-rate banquet facility for wedding receptions and corporate events. Since then tens of thousands of banquet guests have enjoyed fine Greek cuisine, most for the very first time.

The consistently high quality of food and the unwavering commitment to warm, attentive service has gained recognition from gourmands and food critics alike. In 2000, Christos was voted Best Greek Restaurant by the readers of Mpls/StPaul and Minnesota Monthly magazines, City Pages and DINE.com. Christos was further recognized as the overwhelming choice of a panel of Twin Cities' food critics as best Greek restaurant. While the choice of “best” is subjective, we are flattered by the accolades and delighted to contribute to the advancement of Greek cuisine in the Twin Cities.