Dinner at Kew Gardens
A MESSAGE FROM GUS & CAROL PARPAS, OWNERS OF CHRISTOS
INTRODUCING . . . TALES OF A RESTAURATEUR
TALES OF A RESTAURATEUR is a book we are currently writing with stories we’ve been compiling over the years about some of the customers and friends who have supported Christos, employees who worked alongside us, those who helped us get started and succeed, and even a few who put obstacles in our way!
These stories share the adventures of owning and operating Christos Greek restaurants for more than thirty-five years. Some paint a picture of the world Gus left behind to come to this country. Others provide a glimpse into our student years in New York City. Still others go back further to Gus’ childhood and adolescence on the northern coast of the island of Cyprus, where he was born.
As Gus writes, Carol provides inspiration by helping select the stories to tell. Carol is attuned to the preferences and tastes of our customers and understands their sensitivities and sensibilities better than any of us at Christos. Of course, many of the experiences described in these stories are ones we shared together.
We offer these stories to our customers and friends as a thank you and a personal invitation behind the scenes in our sometimes insane, often challenging but always fascinating world. Enjoy!
Christos History: Our first restaurant opened in 1988 on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. We expanded to the historic Union Depot train station in St. Paul in 1996, and to Minnetonka in 2007. Along the way, catering added a new dimension to the business. After a spectacular twenty-year run, the Union Depot operation closed in 2016 after Ramsey County acquired the property and changed the rules. The pandemic was a contributing factor in our decision to sell the Minnetonka property in 2021 after a successful fourteen-year run. But our Minneapolis restaurant is going strong on Nicollet Avenue, and our catering business is thriving.
