ASTORIA – The Akropolis Meat Market owned by John Gatzonis, 69, is well-known in the Greek community for over forty years. The business was recently profiled in the New York Times which noted the variety of meats available and the lively conversation in Greek and English that have made the butcher shop a staple in the neighborhood.
The Times article recounted the history of the shop which was opened in 1975 by Gatzonis and his father Constantine, known as Gus, who had immigrated to the US in 1956. After working in meat markets for almost twenty years, Gus opened his own butcher shop. His son told the Times, “His philosophy was that people should be able to feed their families high-quality meat without paying a lot of money and buy it in a place where they would get great service.”
The elder Gatzonis passed away in 1995, though he is remembered in the photographs on display in the shop where his 70-year-old meat cleaver is also displayed.
Gatzonis works along with his brother-in-law Vasilios Gatzonis who happens to have the same name. Both are from the prefecture of Argyrokastro where Gatzonis is a common name.
The shop is not for those in a rush since all the meat is cut to order. The skillful butchering takes time, as does the attention to detail, and the friendly chat. Among the long-time customers who appreciate the quality of the meat and the service at Akropolis is Dina Kyritsis who has patronized the shop for over twenty years and happily waited for the pork she ordered. Manny Michelakis, a civil engineer from Whitestone, and his teenage son, Jason, were also mentioned in the article. Michelakis and his family have been buying meat for the week for 35 years every Saturday afternoon and he noted that “John and the rest of the guys are my friends, so coming here is like a social hour,” as the Times reported.
Angie Gatzonis, John’s sister and Vasilios’ wife, noted the increasing diversity of the neighborhood, “At first, only Greeks came here, but we get everybody today,” as reported in the Times.
Josip Lacmanovic, an electrician, and his wife, Ruzica, who live in Astoria and are from Croatia, shop regularly at Akropolis. Lacmanovic said as the Times reported, “My standing joke with John and the rest of the guys for the last decade has been whether Croatians or Greeks eat more meat. There may never be a clear answer to that, but I do know that anything I get from Akropolis is going to be excellent.”
Farms within 500 miles of New York City and the Hunts Point Cooperative Market in the Bronx supply the meat for the shop, as the article observed.
The Times also noted that the Akropolis is a cash only business, which is increasingly rare when more and more people are using credit cards, debit cards, or even apps on their phones to make purchases instead of cash.
Akropolis Meat Market is located at 31-04 30th Ave in Astoria. More information is available online at www.akropolismeats.com.
The post Astoria’s Akropolis Meat Market Profiled in the NY Times appeared first on The National Herald.