By Eric Curl
May 25, 2025 – Condolences were widespread over the weekend following the announcement on social media that Olympia Cafe owner Nick Pappas died Friday at age 80, after decades of delighting diners with his welcoming manner and Mediterranean cuisine.
“Our beloved Nick passed away yesterday,” the restaurant ‘s Facebook page posted Saturday. “His love, passion, hard work, and humor made him a one of a kind. There are no words right now to express our sorrow.”
There were hundreds of responses to the post by Sunday morning, with some describing Pappas as “bigger than life itself” and someone who “embodied the Greek culture,” while others called for him to be honored with a statue or street naming. Former employees also shared their memories going back to the ’90s of working at the restaurant, where they “were part of a big family” as they served a diverse range of customers from all over the world. Many well-wishers reflected on the friendliness of Pappas as they dined there, lots of whom celebrated special occasions such as anniversaries and graduations at the restaurant.
Danielle Orozco fondly recalled the time Pappas had her toddler son don an apron and serve them their meal.
“Nick was always so kind and gracious each time we stopped by for dinner,” Orozco said.
Alexandria Andronikos, who grew up with the family, said that whenever she visited the restaurant she always looked forward to hearing “the story”, in Pappas heavy Greek accent, of how he worked with her father in the same town as jewelers in Greece before coming to the United States, only to find her father had also moved to Savannah.
“Nick had a way of making the past feel like it was just around the corner, and I’ll miss those moments deeply,” Andronikos said. “He was proud of his story. Proud of our people. And I’ll carry that pride with me.”
Pappas grew up on a small island in Greece before traveling the seas as a cruise ship cook and establishing restaurants in New York and Detroit, before finally landing in the late 1980s in Savannah, which he said remined him of his home island, according to a 2015 Savannah Morning News article.
Nicholas (Nick) Pappas Obituary
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Located along the waterfront at 5 East River St., Pappas, along with co-owner Vasilis Varlagas, Olympia Cafe has been serving Greek and Mediterranean dishes at the restaurant since its opening in 1991. In 2024, Olympia Cafe was recognized among the top 10% of restaurants worldwide by Tripadvisor, earning the Travelers’ Choice Award.
Pappas death comes about a week after the city of Savannah recently issued a request for proposals (RFP) to lease the ground floor of the Gamble Building currently occupied by the Olympia Cafe, ahead of the restaurant’s lease expiring at the end of the year. In addition to the lease’s scheduled expiration, renovation work is expected to take place in the space as part of a major renovation of the historic building and the start of the new lease is not expected to begin until the third quarter of 2026.
The RFP for the Gamble Building space was issued no May 15 in accordance with state law concerning the use of public buildings, according to city Press Secretary Joshua Peacock.
“The City will accept the highest scoring proposal that aligns with the terms and conditions of the lease agreement outlined in the RFP,” Peacock said via email on Friday. “It is anticipated that Olympia Café will submit a proposal.”
Peacock issued the statement in response to an inquiry made by Savannah Agenda on May 16, prior to Pappas’ death.
Olympia Cafe’s current lease with the city was originally executed inn 2011, according to the last 5-year extension in 2019. The current lease extension ends Dec. 31.
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