Acropolis reflects on community after 21 years
“My dad used to say, ‘Bean by bean you fill the bag.’ It means that you cannot accomplish everything with one grand swoop. Every individual thing we do matters.”
This July marks 21 years that Acropolis Mediterranean Grill has had its home at Hamilton Place. But really, the family-owned eatery has been in business for 34 years, having first opened its doors in East Ridge in 1982.
Back then it had been a small, two-man operation, co-owner Nick Kyriakidis told me.
“A mom and pop shop — literally,” he said, nodding across the table to his mother Betty, who started it all with her late husband Teddy. “Or, in Greek, you’d say ‘yaya and papou’ shop.”
Acropolis’ upcoming anniversary, continued Nick, has got his family talking about what it means to belong.
“What does it mean to be invested in a community?” asks Nick.
For Betty, it means knowing and serving the same families, generation after generation.
“The kids I used to stack booster seats for are now bringing in their own families,” Betty said.
While the grill is rooted in traditional Greek cuisine — leg of lamb, stuffed grape leaves, and gyros, for example — its menu also boasts a variety of fusion fare.
This season, it is highlighting its Southern pecan salad, made with sugared pecans, spring greens, dried cranberries, gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.
Acropolis plans to introduce a list of new specials to help celebrate its anniversary this month, including sangria specials.
“Some things change but some things will always stay the same,” Nick said of his menu. “There’s comfort in that.”
But, he adds, Acropolis will never stop striving to improve and evolve with its community.
“My dad used to say, ‘Bean by bean you fill the bag,’” said Nick. “It means that you cannot accomplish everything with one grand swoop. Every individual thing we do matters.”