CHICAGO – Tassos “Tom” Spentzos is opening “Chicago Greek” in the Brickyard Shopping Center on Mesquite Boulevard introducing the city of Chicago to Greek cuisine.
Spentzos came to America from Greece as a 10-year- old, settling with his family in Chicago where he first worked in the restaurant business, The Spectrum reports.
“At almost every corner you’re going to have a Greek diner some place. In the city there’s thousands of them,” Spentzos said.
On Tuesday, a fast-casual Greek chain created by CNBC reality star George Pertesis makes its Connecticut debut in Norwalk, with the proprietors considering additional locations down the road in Fairfield and Stamford.
The Simple Greek opens at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at 440 Westport Ave., with Mayor Harry Rilling scheduled to swing through Friday afternoon for a grand opening when the restaurant is offering $1 gyros during the lunch hour, The Hour reports.
Bringing The Simple Greek to Connecticut is George Pertesis, along with his parents John and Maria and sister Christina. The idea came to the Pertesis family after seeing an episode of “The Profit” on CNBC two years ago, with the show chronicling attempts by entrepreneurs to win financial backing from investor Marcus Lemonis.
Under the slogan “Discover your inner Greek,” The Simple Greek allows diners to build their own pitas or bowls, to include traditional gyros with a range of toppings, sauces and seasonings, and wine and beer served.
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