Hot and new can steal the spotlight, but what about longstanding local favorites? Each month, we’ll visit a Richmond-area restaurant that has been in business 15 years or longer.
Josephine Giavos Flemotomos of Athens Tavern (Photo by Jay Paul)
Josephine Giavos Flemotomos was 9 years old when her parents, Gus and Sophia Giavos, first opened Athens Tavern in the Fan. “I feel very comfortable in this restaurant; I grew up in here,” Flemotomos says.
From 1981-2002, the Giavos family served traditional Greek plates including dolmades, spanakopita and moussaka, while building a loyal customer base. The restaurant operated under different ownership from 2002 until 2017, when Flemotomos and her husband, Spiros, brought Athens Tavern back to the family.
The duo also own and operate Broad Street sports bar Gus’ Bar & Grill, but Flemotomos spends most of her time at Athens Tavern. There, she and a couple of devoted kitchen staff prepare all the specials and menu mainstays.
Flemotomos says she rarely sees a face she doesn’t recognize. “I waited on tables from 1989 to 2000; I love seeing couples get married and have babies — they used to be little kids I waited on in 1993!”
As for new customers who want to experience a relaxing dinner sipping Greek wine and nibbling on Mama Sophia’s homemade keftedes (meatballs), she’s confident she’ll see them again. “I’d say 85% of our customers are regulars,” Flemotomos says. “And the other 15%? They are people who become regulars.”
