A Greek Australian oasis with a coffee aroma in Athens

·

By Ilias Karagiannis

George Paraskevopoulos’ eyes fill with tears when he talks about his father. We sit with the Greek Australian businessman in his coffee shop in Athens, Greece called The Roasting Warehouse Athens (Ntelakroua 2, Athens) when memories flood his mind.

George opens up about his migration to Australia with his parents, a brief pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic that gave him the opportunity to reflect, and the return to Greece with the opening of a coffee shop in the up-and-coming suburb of Neos Kosmos.

“It’s like a circle has closed,” he says emotionally, thinking of his father, who recently passed away.

The Greek-Australian businessman, George Paraskevopoulos (left) with his partner and Greek coffee champion, Nikos Antzaras (right).
(Photo on left) The Greek Australian businessman, George Paraskevopoulos (left) with his partner and Greek coffee champion, Nikos Antzaras (right).

George’s father didn’t get to see the Roasting Warehouse Athens, but he felt proud of his son and the small coffee empire he had created in Melbourne, Victoria. With two stores in Airport West and North Melbourne, and later South Fremantle in Western Australia, George has instilled the philosophy of coffee not only in the Greek community, but also in his Australian customers.

The opening of the store in Athens, he tells me, “is an opportunity to come to Greece five to six times a year.”

Within a few months of opening, Roasting Warehouse Athens has already become a meeting point for Greek Australians in Greece. It has also been visited by the Australian Ambassador to Greece, Alison Duncan. A regular visitor is the stunning model, Mary Vitinaros.

“In just three days, I met about 100 people from Australia,” George says, pleased with the early support for his venture.

The Greek-Australian businessman, George Paraskevopoulos (left) with his son Alexander (next to him), the Australian Ambassador to Greece, Alison Duncan, the Greek coffee champion, Nikos Antzaras (to the right of the ambassador), and his other son, Jonathan (right).
The Australian Ambassador to Greece, Alison Duncan (third from left) meets with George Paraskevopoulos (left), his family and work team.

Meeting the coffee champion

The Roasting Warehouse Athens was the result of a friendship between George and the Greek coffee champion, top barista Nikos Antzaras.

“I met Nikos in Australia. He was competing there in a global coffee competition. He had come with his wife, Eleni, who now oversees everything in the store,” George says.

“I told my son to go pick them up from the airport, to help with whatever they needed. We had a good time. A few months later, we came to Greece. We met with the kids, they treated us, we talked but we didn’t discuss anything about the store. In April 2023, Eleni sent me a proposal to open the store. She asked if I was interested.

“I thought about it, sometimes I said yes, sometimes no. The mind plays games. Finally, I said yes. I came to Greece. Nikos had chosen the location, and I liked it very much.”

George had a coffee empire before, which inspired him into offering the best possible coffee to his Australian customers.

“I always had businesses in Melbourne. Starting in 2002, I created a chain of 27 stores, which was doing very well. I decided to buy a store in Perth to roast coffee, and immediately after, I bought a store in North Melbourne,” he explains.

For George, coffee is a bonding agent that brings people together. What he wants now, as he raises his three children to take over the business, is to have contacts with people who share his vision. The coffee community, as he calls it.

“Now I know what I want. I want a community of people with my interests. I like the coffee community. It doesn’t discriminate. You go, have a coffee, no one will ask you what religion you believe in or where you are from. And I like that,” George says.

George Paraskevopoulos

Life in Greece

George was born and raised in Melbourne, but life brought him to Greece when he was nine years old. From a metropolitan center in Australia to a Greek village in the 1970s.

“We lived in Greece for a few years. In the village of Panagitsa, a little outside of Levidi. I was nine years old then. I remember the landmarks of my life from my trips to Greece,” he says.

“It was incredible. It was a cultural shock having lived in Australia and then living in a small village. We left again for Australia, then came back to Greece and lived in Vrachati, Corinthia. For about a year. My father had the adventure in him. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

George adds that his mother visits Greece every year and she was happy that he opened the store in Athens.

“She is 82 years old and comes to Greece every year. My mother knows me, that I am adventurous. She was naturally happy,” George says, adding that he visited Greece six times last year.

“I’m trying to do two things. Work and come to Greece.”

Expansion in London, Cyprus, Lebanon, Turkey

His plans are ambitious. After all, coffee and entrepreneurship run through his veins.

“Today I woke up, put on my clothes, and came straight to the store. To talk to Eleni about what went well and what didn’t the previous day. I like entrepreneurship,” George says.

I ask him about his future plans after the opening of the Roasting Warehouse Athens.

“First of all, we want to do the best for the customer. My philosophy is to give the best experience to the customer, and that’s why we created the largest store in Melbourne. I have specialised staff who ask customers if they liked the food, the coffee. If something went wrong, we will solve it on the spot. If we don’t solve it, the customer won’t come back,” he says.

“I do what I love. In Greece, I will give you the food that is very popular in Melbourne, the freddo, and excellent service.”

George has entrusted the Australian executive chef, David Stewart, with the delicacies of Roasting Warehouse Athens. At the same time, the Roasting Warehouse brand is beginning to spread.

“They always said Greece was in the most strategic location on the planet. So I decided to expand. In London, I’ve made a deal with a professional cricket player, who is already in training. We will sell coffee wholesale. This is our main business. Additionally, we are close to an agreement with Cyprus, Turkey, and Lebanon,” George explains.

One thing is certain – the Roasting Warehouse Athens has already become the hangout spot for the Greek Australian community in Athens.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Mother’s Day for Greek Australians: A time for love, memory and reflection

The roots of Mother’s Day can be traced back to Ancient Greek and Roman festivals which honoured the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele.

Greek olive oil poised for growth in booming Australian market

A study by the Economic and Commercial Affairs Office of the Greek Consulate in Sydney highlights strong opportunities for Greek olive oil.

The Greek alphabet may be older than first thought

Associate Professor Willemijn Waal, with the help of a Vici grant, aims to explore whether the alphabet could be several centuries older.

Evangelos Demos to give seminar on the geopolitics of Greek foreign policy

Evangelos Demos is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney under the supervision of Professor Vrasidas Karalis.

Niki Louca shares her recipe for Daktylies (Cypriot-style bread)

Niki Louca from My Greek Kitchen shares her favourite recipe for Daktylies (Cypriot-style bread) with The Greek Herald.

You May Also Like

Amazons: Ancient warrior women as powerful role models for women today

Connie Skibinski, PhD candidate at the University of Newcastle writes about women who can rule themselves, found distant lands.

Greek Community of Melbourne announces 2024 ‘XOROS’ dinner dance

The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) has announced the 2024 ‘ΧΟRΟS’ Dinner Dance, scheduled to take place on Friday, March 22, 2024.

Greece wins two awards for culture and heritage

On the 20th anniversary of the Europa Nostra Awards, Greece has been awarded two European Heritage Awards for 2022.