Businessman Takes a Bite of American Dream

Nick Athanasiadis has come a long way in his 52 years. 

“He pretty much embodies the American Dream,” said Matthew Hombach, who gave the opening remarks at the grand opening of Athanasiadis’ newest restaurant, Zesto Pizza & Grill in Middle River, Tuesday.

Emigrating from northern Greece at the age of 14, Athanasiadis settled in central Philadelphia, where he immediately began working at his father’s restaurant, Paul’s Pizza.

Two years later he was a manager, just as the city was aquiring a taste for Paul’s.

“At one point, we had five locations,” Athanasiadis said.

However, when Paul’s was sold nearly 40 years ago, Athanasiadis started his own pizzeria, the original Zesto Pizza & Grill in Philadelphia’s .

That was 1972, ns since then he hasn’t looked back. In addition to the Zesto location in Middle River, Athanasiadis and his co-owner and nephew, Teddy Bouikidis, plan to open a third store in Villanova, PA.

It is likely that his sucess is the result of his hands-on approach to crafting his restaurants.

"It was all Nick," said Stanley N. Varlas, the commercial real estate broker who worked with Athanasiadis to develop his new location in Middle River "The vision, the concept, the idea ... when Nick sees something, and he wants it, he knows what he wants and he goes for it."

Other officials—including County Councilwoman Cathy Bevins, Councilman John Olszewski Sr. and Marc Czosnowski, president of the Chesapeake Gateway Chamber of Commerce—all praised Athanasiadis for opening in Middle River.

While Athanasiadis plans to manage the Middle River restaurant from his Elkton home, he will leave the existing Manayunk location, as well as the planned Villanova expansion, in the hands of Bouikidis, his 29-year-old nephew.