The Greek taverna “Lakis Greek Kitchen” in England has become a favorite spot for many locals and tourists. It was opened by 44-year-old Greek Cypriot Panicos Panayiotou, who lives in Walsall, in the Black Country. As he explains, he did it to honor his father, Lakis, who passed away without fulfilling his dream, while also raising money for local charities.
The taverna cost him £17,000 to build and can serve up to 200 people per night. With the help of his wife, Michelle, and volunteers, Panicos serves traditional Greek food from his restaurant and donates all the money to charitable causes, as highlighted by the Daily Mail. Their signature dish is kleftiko, marinated lamb and potatoes that have been slow-cooked in clay in the oven for 8 to 12 hours. Desserts include a variety of homemade traditional sweets, such as baklava, coconut cake, and a chocolate cake called “Duchess”, (Doukissa).
On the official website of the establishment, it is described as “a charitable organization that uses food as a vehicle to help those in need. Founded in 2014, we have since evolved into an established organization running a series of projects and fundraisers to assist individuals suffering from serious chronic and life-threatening conditions.”
As Panicos, a father of three, emphasizes, Lakis Greek Kitchen has attracted the interest of visitors even from distant countries, such as the USA, and receives reservations several weeks in advance. “We have a waiting list. I have told people from Scotland and America to come to visit old Walsall, it’s truly incredible. Fortunately, the neighbors are not bothered; they are fantastic.”
As for how the idea became a reality, Panicos decided to build the restaurant to honor the memory of his father, Lakis, who passed away from lung cancer in 2012. Lakis, who was a shop owner, had begun to create his own taverna at his home in his village in Cyprus, but he passed away before it was completed. Panicos said he wanted to pay tribute to his father’s memory by finishing the work he couldn’t complete, while also raising money for a good cause.
The taverna took two months to build and, since 2014, has raised £64,000 for local charities. “I built it in memory of my father, who died of cancer. He tried to start it, built a restaurant in his garden, but died before he finished. What we say, our tradition, is to keep relationships with our loved ones even after they die, so you do good deeds in their memory. And that’s what we do here every year, this is for him. My father always wanted to run a traditional Greek taverna from his home, so this is a way to keep his memory alive and raise necessary funds for charitable causes.”
And he added: “I have a fantastic wife who is the strength of the business; she does all the preparation and desserts. In the beginning, my mother was also the driving force. She showed us all the recipes and made sure the food was right. It’s completely traditional. I am a second-generation Greek Cypriot, and my mom immigrated here in 1974 with my father. They lost their home to the Turks. My parents have instilled in us the strength to give back. I do it for six weeks every year. It’s all at home. Now that my mom can’t help, it’s mostly my wife and me doing the preparation. We have an award-winning chef who comes in the evening. We are an active ‘food bank,’ feeding people every week.”
This year, the team raised £16,500 to help a three-year-old boy with a brain tumor, while these funds will also be allocated to other charitable causes. “Since we started as a pop-up, we have evolved and run a series of projects and fundraisers. We have a fund for tough times. When a family needs something, like roof repairs or a microwave oven, or if they are financially unable, they can apply to us. We are an emergency fund,” he added.
“When we started, we didn’t expect to go this far. I want us to reach 20 years and if possible, to help many people along the way. We believe in the power of food and the heritage that brings people together and creates positive change. That’s why we’re building a local and international support program that uses these tools to help those in need, while also celebrating the traditions that make us who we are,” he concluded, emphasizing that their mission is simple: “We want to help the youth and our community by addressing significant issues like health, food accessibility, and social relationships. We also work to record, preserve, and share the unique stories of our community members.”
