Longtime Greek restaurant Kouzina Christos closing this weekend in East Cobb

Food from the menu of Kouzina Christos. / Kouzina Christos Facebook page

Food from the menu of Kouzina Christos. / Kouzina Christos Facebook page

Longtime metro Atlanta Greek restaurant Kouzina Christos is closing its doors after dinner service Saturday.

Christos Giannes opened what was then called Christos in 1980 with his brother Sandy at Terrell Mill Junction Shopping Center in East Cobb.

The restaurant moved to a nearby space several years later, and in 2012 changed its name to Kouzina Christos and settled at its current location at 1453 Terrell Mill Road in Marietta.

The forthcoming closure, first reported by Tomorrow’s News Today, is “very much” due to the pandemic, Giannes told the AJC.

“We had a thriving business pre-COVID,” Giannes said, citing a sharp increase in people working from home along with COVID-19 restrictions eating into lunchtime crowds and catering orders.

The restaurant, which serves Greek staples including gyros and saganaki as well as pastas, salads and sandwiches, had been open for dine-in service and curbside pickup for te past few months, but Giannes said it was impossible to recoup the losses incurred during the pandemic.

He said he plans to stay in the restaurant and hospitality industry, possibly in a mentorship role.

Kouzina Christos is the latest food and beverage concept casualty due to the coronavirus economic impact. Other recent closures include Tea House Formosa in Doraville, Doraku, Qing Mu and Cook Hall in Buckhead, Ammazza in Decatur, Donetto in West Midtown and Rise-N-Dine in Emory Village.

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