Local Greek restaurant makes sumptuous comeback

Like one of the most famous of all Greek myths, the phoenix, a local eatery in Rutland is set to move forward from a fiery past.

Over three years since the blaze that destroyed the very popular restaurant, Olympia Greek Taverna is once again preparing its famous pizzas and pasta dishes, as part of an initial limited menu with takeout fare only.

“It’s a huge relief after three and a half years of construction,” owner Mike Koutsantonis told Kelowna10 as he and staff prepped for the exciting opening day, Saturday from 4 p.m., for takeout (pick up and delivery) operations. “It’s nice to get back in the kitchen.”

Sit down patrons will need to wait a few weeks longer to enjoy the full menu favourites such as lamb kleftiko. Staff are still being brought up to speed with their training and to ensure the kitchen staff aren’t overwhelmed in these initial stages of the venue’s rebirth.

But for Koutsantonis, he’s delighted to bring back such an important family affair to Rutland.

“It’s a great community to raise a family, we’ve got great schools here, a great business community,” he explained. “We’ve been feeding the people for over 50 years up here and we continue to do so with our children, and their children [will] for the next 50 years.”

Check out the video to see the changes to this family favourite.