Greek’s Pizzeria, 116 S. Washington St., returned to Crawfordsville in November after being part of the local restaurant scene in the 1970s.
The eatery serves pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salads, wings, beer and wine. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The company was founded in 1969 by Chris Karamesines, fulfilling his dream of becoming a pizza restaurateur. Chris was born in Chicago and developed a taste for good food at a young age.
His father, who traveled to the U.S. in 1919 from a small village in Greece, foresaw the endless opportunities America had to offer.
The family has been in the restaurant business since 1922 and no matter the name of each location, over the years the neighborhood customers commonly stated, “Let’s just eat at the Greek’s.”
Karamesines, who opened his first diner-style restaurant when he was 14, later became a self-taught professor of pizza, earning his home-baked degree by studying in the kitchens of top-notch operations across the country.
As a pizza fan, he learned the ins and outs of the industry and opened his first pizzeria in Valparaiso at the age of 17. Unsure of what to call it, his mother suggested the name “Greek’s Pizzeria.” At 23, Karamesines was joined by his late wife, Cindy, and together they continued to build and consult pizzerias throughout the world.
Over the years, the couple built more than 140 pizza restaurants in Indiana, Hawaii, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Texas, Ohio and other states. Karamesines also developed Pizza Forum, a larger facility including a proprietary design enclosure with game rooms.
The company now has more than 30 locations. The Crawfordsville franchise is owned by Mike Cole and managed by Jonnie Harpel.
The restaurant can be reached at 765-323-3154 or at greekspizzeria.com. Find them on Facebook at Greeks Pizzeria Crawfordsville.
