flavor
dining out l by nicole eno & brittany king
Steaks and pizza are menu favorites for the patrons of G&D Pizzaria.
Keeping It In The Family Brothers Alex and Pano Terzopoulos provide a home away from home at Columbia’s G&D Pizzaria.
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hen Alex Terzopoulos left his home in northern Greece 37 years ago, he headed for the United States and the chance to live the American dream. He arrived in Columbia in early 1977 to work with his uncle, G&D Steak House founder George Terzopoulos, at his restaurant on Ninth Street. Alex’s timing was fortuitous; it coincided with Uncle George’s new venture, G&D Pizzaria, which opened in the Crossroads West Shopping Center on West Broadway in February 1977. Nine months later, Alex’s brother, Pano, joined them in the family business. The Terzopoulos brothers learned quickly from their restaurateur uncle
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and by 1978 were ready to strike out on their own. Alex and Pano purchased G&D Pizzaria from their uncle early that year and set out to build their own American dream. The brothers had discovered that a day’s work in America earned them four times the money they’d made in Greece. “America gives you the opportunity to have whatever you like, if you work hard enough,” Alex says. Over the years, the brothers have built a family-centric business that keeps customers coming back for its authentic Greek food and friendly atmosphere. Customers who dine at the restaurant can choose between traditional Greek dishes such as gyros and souvlaki, or
American offerings such as G&D’s freshly cut ribeye, KC strip steaks and a steak sandwich famously cut by 30-year G&D employee Rob Dolliver. There is a reason, though, that “pizzaria” is in the restaurant’s name, Alex says; G&D’s pizza is the menu item customers love most. The staff at G&D Pizzaria quickly becomes familiar with repeat visitors. Seeing the same faces on a regular basis allows the brothers to get to know their guests. “You get to watch young kids grow up,” Alex says. “First they come in at 2 years old and then they’re 25.” Aside from the homey welcome for patrons, the Terzopoulos brothers truly are running a family business. While Alex and Pano run the pizzaria together, their children are often on hand to help. Alex’s daughter, Ava, began hosting at G&D Pizzaria when she was 15, and she sees working with her family as a good thing. “It’s kind of nice to keep it in the family,” she says. photo by l.g. patterson