Nicholas Papanastasiou did not start out his culinary career as a master chef, or even as a chef at all. He began working in a local school’s cafeteria as a dishwasher, all thanks to his father's connections.
“I owe my restaurant career to Haw Creek School,” said Papanastasiou.
From there, he began to climb through the different levels of the food and restaurant industry. In 1991, he had worked his way to the role of owner when he and his brother opened their first restaurant, East Village Grille, in the East Asheville area.
“East Village has been there for 27 years. I can’t believe it’s been that long,” Papanastasiou said.
“My maternal grandfather was in the restaurant business and my uncles were in the restaurant business. I think the work ethic is the main thing that is important and having a passion for what you do, things that you love to do,” Papanastasiou said.
In Papanastasiou’s business, he focuses on the idea of keeping almost everything local, including everything from the produce to the customers.
“It’s a good little place where it’s all local-based and mostly local customers. Tourists to me are great money, but my business doesn’t suffer in the winter time when tourists go away,” Papanastasiou said.
Along with keeping ingredients local, Papanastasiou and his work family make every dish from scratch. For example, they buy raw chicken wings, bread them, and dip them in their homemade sauces all by hand and in house.
“We do everything from scratch, we don’t do what a lot of the restaurants do: take already processed food and put it on a plate,” he said.
The Papanastasiou’s place a focus on the family aspect of their business even though a good amount of their staff members are not directly related.
“People that work for us can become family. We give them a family environment, not a corporate environment,” Papanastasiou said.
Papanastasiou not only owns East Village Grille, but also owns three other food businesses, including FILO and Post 70, which is bakery by day and an indulgence bar at night. He also owns Post 25, a restaurant in South Asheville with a craft cocktail bar run by his son Emilios. . His sister Maria Papanastasiou and Emilios run Post 70 and FILO together.
Maria attended the French Culinary Institute in New York City then proceeded to work for five years in Manhattan until she returned home around 2006 to open and run FILO.
“ I had an opportunity to buy that building, and I asked [Maria] if she wanted to open up a bakery in North Carolina or if she wanted to stay in New York. She came down to open the bakery,” Papanastasiou said.
FILO, Post 70, and East Village Grille are all located next to each other on Tunnel Road. The family business expanded to South Asheville in 2016 and in the future, the family is interested in looking into expanding farther than the Asheville area.
“I would like to try the Greenville, South Carolina, area because of the positive atmosphere. Nothing is ruled out though. It’s all about the right opportunity more than it is going where you want to go. If there is a building available and the deal is correct, then we go from there,” Papanastasiou said.
For Papanastasiou, the family aspect really is what really drives his work ethic.
“I’m not afraid to put in 100 hours a week because I’m paying off my house, and I’m buying a car. It justifies it, and it’s worth it, and I’ve got great kids. What else could you ask for,” Papanastasiou said.
“I owe my restaurant career to Haw Creek School,” said Papanastasiou.
From there, he began to climb through the different levels of the food and restaurant industry. In 1991, he had worked his way to the role of owner when he and his brother opened their first restaurant, East Village Grille, in the East Asheville area.
“East Village has been there for 27 years. I can’t believe it’s been that long,” Papanastasiou said.
“My maternal grandfather was in the restaurant business and my uncles were in the restaurant business. I think the work ethic is the main thing that is important and having a passion for what you do, things that you love to do,” Papanastasiou said.
In Papanastasiou’s business, he focuses on the idea of keeping almost everything local, including everything from the produce to the customers.
“It’s a good little place where it’s all local-based and mostly local customers. Tourists to me are great money, but my business doesn’t suffer in the winter time when tourists go away,” Papanastasiou said.
Along with keeping ingredients local, Papanastasiou and his work family make every dish from scratch. For example, they buy raw chicken wings, bread them, and dip them in their homemade sauces all by hand and in house.
“We do everything from scratch, we don’t do what a lot of the restaurants do: take already processed food and put it on a plate,” he said.
The Papanastasiou’s place a focus on the family aspect of their business even though a good amount of their staff members are not directly related.
“People that work for us can become family. We give them a family environment, not a corporate environment,” Papanastasiou said.
Papanastasiou not only owns East Village Grille, but also owns three other food businesses, including FILO and Post 70, which is bakery by day and an indulgence bar at night. He also owns Post 25, a restaurant in South Asheville with a craft cocktail bar run by his son Emilios. . His sister Maria Papanastasiou and Emilios run Post 70 and FILO together.
Maria attended the French Culinary Institute in New York City then proceeded to work for five years in Manhattan until she returned home around 2006 to open and run FILO.
“ I had an opportunity to buy that building, and I asked [Maria] if she wanted to open up a bakery in North Carolina or if she wanted to stay in New York. She came down to open the bakery,” Papanastasiou said.
FILO, Post 70, and East Village Grille are all located next to each other on Tunnel Road. The family business expanded to South Asheville in 2016 and in the future, the family is interested in looking into expanding farther than the Asheville area.
“I would like to try the Greenville, South Carolina, area because of the positive atmosphere. Nothing is ruled out though. It’s all about the right opportunity more than it is going where you want to go. If there is a building available and the deal is correct, then we go from there,” Papanastasiou said.
For Papanastasiou, the family aspect really is what really drives his work ethic.
“I’m not afraid to put in 100 hours a week because I’m paying off my house, and I’m buying a car. It justifies it, and it’s worth it, and I’ve got great kids. What else could you ask for,” Papanastasiou said.