Walking through the nearly abandoned Southroads Mall is a quiet and dull experience with not much of anything to look at. However, when you reach the back of the main level, John’s Grecian Delight, a small, cozy restaurant greets you. 

With the support of his wife and kids, John Sakkas opened his restaurant in October of 1981. Sakkas said the process of opening was smooth sailing.

“I was dreaming to have a restaurant and I worked hard and saved some money and I did it,” Sakkas said.

Sakkas said he has had a passion for being in the restaurant business for a while. He developed his passion at a young age working in a restaurant back in Greece.

“I was working at 14 years old, I used to work in the restaurant and that’s when I fell in love,” Sakkas said. “I used to wash the dishes 18 hours a day for 3 pennies an hour.” 

For 43 years Sakkas has strived to keep prices affordable. For example a gyro sandwich at John’s Grecian Delight is $6.00, but a gyro sandwich at Gyro Kings is $9.99. Throughout the coronavirus and hardships, prices remained the same.

“Because I’m working everyday, I don’t pay people,” Sakkas said. “It’s just me and sometimes my wife and daughter.”  

Sakkas said there haven’t been many challenges during his career. However, the coronavirus was the scariest part of his career. The safety measures, seeing other businesses failing, and the worry of having to close. 

“We closed for 5 weeks and I thought if we continue like this we might never open back,” Sakkas said. “It was a scary time, that’s what worried me.”

Sakkas said what sets him apart from other businesses is the fact that he doesn’t get cheap on us, he buys the real stuff, and always puts his all into his job. 

“I make everything fresh, I want everything to be clean and fresh,’’ Sakkas said. “If i don’t do it right, I’m upset.”

Sakkas has such passion for his job and said he will stay in business until he can’t anymore. The people are his favorite part of the job. 

“The people, I love them, they’re all my buddies,” Sakkas said.

Sakkas never fails to make his customers feel welcome, and puts all his love and care into his food and his general presence. Sakkas’s advice for everyone is to go for something if you want to do it, don’t pass up on opportunities.

“If you love something, do it, you can do whatever you want if you want to do it,” Sakkas said. ‘‘You have to love what you’re doing. It’s like a marriage, if you love your wife the things go perfect, if you’re not connecting, hasta la vista.”