Man builds a Greek Taverna in his backyard that now serves 200 people every night

Many people begin their journey to success and achievements by starting small. Putting in a lot of hard work and gradually yielding results is the process many people go through to make their dreams come true. Panikos Panayiotou began his dream to serve and help in his backyard with a lot of determination and even more talent, per Good News Network. Lakis Greek Taverna is Panayiotou’s restaurant, which was creatively built in his backyard. Now, a full-fledged restaurant, Panayiotou aims to provide a complete experience with its authentic dishes and ambiance.

It all began in 2012 after Panayiotou’s dad passed away due to cancer. He set up the restaurant in memory of his beloved father, Lakis, who owned a fish and chips shop. Lakis had a dream to build his taverna, but he passed away before its completion and Panayiotou took on the role and made his father's dream come true. He created a taverna, a Greek-themed restaurant. With an authentic Greek experience, Panayiotou hopes to honor his father.

“Our tradition is to have a relationship with your loved ones in the afterlife, so you do good deeds in memory of them. And this is what we do here every year, this is for him. My father always wanted to run a traditional Greek taverna from his home and so it’s a way of keeping his memory alive and raising much-needed money for charity,” he mentioned. Apart from fulfilling his father's dream, the man also ensured he did something more meaningful with his restaurant. He sends all proceeds to charity. What began as a simple space now serves around 200 people every night.

Panayiotou mentioned that although the task wasn’t easy, he had considerable support from near and dear ones. “Luckily the neighbors don’t mind, they are fantastic on both sides. We usually do a street lunch for the locals. They’re great and they love that we’re raising for local causes. We’ve got a lot of support from our local area,” he explained. Sharing how things work, Panayiotou noted that his wife prepares the food along with another volunteer chef. The items on the menu include only traditional and homemade food to provide an experience like no other. These recipes come from Panayiotou’s mother, who nurtured their love for food with her skill.

The charity work by the restaurant has helped many people and made a significant difference in their lives. The man shares how his work impacts many on his Instagram page. One of his posts shows Panayiotou presenting a check to Acorn’s Children’s Hospital Trust. Other posts reveal how the restaurant has significantly contributed by organizing food banks, charity events, programs and more. Panayiotou added that he is in high spirits with the work they have been able to do. He remarked, “When we started we didn’t expect to be doing it for this long. I want to get to 20 years if we can and help a lot of people along the way. We believe in the power of food and heritage to bring people together and create a positive change.”

You can follow Panikos Panayiotou (@lakisgreekkitchen) on Instagram for more content on cuisine and lifestyle.