What began in North Vancouver many years ago continues to grow on this side of the Burrard Inlet, as the popular restaurant The Greek by Anatoli has revealed plans to open another location in the city.
The Greek is setting up in the space vacated in Janaury 2023 by Heritage Asian Eatery at 382 W Broadway. Heritage's owner attributed the closure to the ongoing construction for the Broadway Subway and the challenges it posed for its business.
Currently, The Greek's forthcoming location is situated in a major subway construction zone, with fencing immediately in front and tunneling going on underneath along Broadway, but the restaurant's team sees that as an exciting opportunity to serve the neighbourhood now and in the future.
Plans are in place to not only use the West Broadway restaurant's modern and spacious kitchen as The Greek's commissary kitchen but also to offer delivery through DoorDash and Uber Eats to fans in the immediate area and ideally as far west as Kitsilano, which could begin within the next couple of weeks.
Ultimately, The Greek on Broadway will be an extension of the brand with a premium casual lunch service by day, transitioning to an intimate dinner service by night, according to Director of Operations Cody Hall.
Lunchtime guests can expect a counter-service menu of dishes designed to be at the ready for locals in need of a meal to-go, though they will be welcome to take their orders to a table and enjoy a sit-down meal.
Come the evening, The Greek will close off the restaurant's open kitchen and counter area, and cover the street-facing windows, in order to provide a more "speakeasy" atmosphere - think "date night" vibes - with table service, candlelight and a DJ.
The food and drink menu at The Greek on Broadway will be a scaled-back version of what fans may be familiar with from the other locations, focusing on the restaurant's most popular dishes. The restaurant is in the process of obtaining a liquor license and is exploring a line of custom bottled cocktails and boxed wine to offer.
Window coverings on the restaurant announcing the new project point to a summer 2023 opening, however, Hall tells V.I.A. by phone that the timeline has since been adjusted, with an aim to have the doors open in October.
In the meantime, the bulk of the work to be done inside the space is cosmetic. Hall describes the plan for the room to feature beautiful millwork, Versace wallpaper, Greek pottery, booths, lanterns, and a lot of greenery, including plants installed in the skylight area.
With the Broadway Subway line opening in 2025, The Greek is looking forward to the increasing opportunities to serve the growing neighbourhood, from City Hall staffers by day and residents in search of a lively and elevated Greek dining experience by night.
The Greek's North Vancouver "parent" restaurant, Anatoli Souvlaki, was opened in 1984 by Thomas and Helen Makris. Three decades later and their sons, Alexi and Iani, launched The Greek in Yaletown, which quickly established itself as a popular spot for cocktails, Greek food, and a party-like atmosphere. In early 2019, the Makris brothers added a Gastown location to its portfolio of The Greek restaurants.
More recently, longtime friend Dan Bergman joined the business as a partner, and the ownership and management team are excited to grow the business with even more locations in the future. Currently, an extensive renovation of the patio of The Greek's Yaletown restaurant is nearing completion.
Follow @thegreekbyanatoli on Instagram for more info about the restaurants.
