Greek’s Arrives
The new Greek’s Pizzeria in Brownsburg is a welcome sight for residents and visitors who want a fun place to gather, visit and enjoy each other’s company over a hot, piping pizza.
Mike and Julie Cole are behind the Brownsburg location. In fact, they’re behind more than 20 locations in Indiana and beyond, but it wouldn’t have been possible without a unique set of circumstances that set Mike on his trajectory.
In 1919, Athanasios “Chris” Karamesines’ father immigrated to the United States from a small village in Greece with dreams of providing a new life for his family.
Chris was raised in Chicago in a variety of family restaurant businesses and opened his first diner-style restaurant at just 14 years old. Whether he was working for himself or with the family, and regardless of the name of the restaurant at the time, it wasn’t uncommon for customers to refer to it as “dining with the Greeks” or “Let’s go to the Greek’s for dinner.”
He became a self-taught expert on pizza, studying in kitchens across the country and learning the ins and outs of the industry.
He opened his first pizzeria in Valparaiso, Indiana, at 17 years old and named it after his mother’s fitting suggestion: Greek’s Pizzeria.
With pride in their Greek heritage, it was the dream his father had hoped Chris would find, and after marrying his late wife, Cindy, the couple continued to build and consult for pizzerias throughout the world. Eventually, they began franchising independently owned and operated Greek’s Pizzeria locations across the U.S., allowing individuals to be in business for themselves, but not by themselves.
Just over 30 years ago, another dream was in the works, even though Cole couldn’t have known it at the time.
Cole was a Ball State University student in the mid-to-late 1990s, running cross-country and track while studying for a teaching degree.
When Cole was injured and had to take time away from his sport, he got a job at Muncie’s Greek’s Pizzeria on campus. It was one of the original Greek’s stores, and Cole worked for the original Greek himself, Chris Karamesines.
“Over the course of the next four years, I went back to running track and I kept working part time at Greek’s. I graduated in 1999 and taught for a couple of years, but I really enjoyed working at Greek’s, so I came back,” Cole says. “My wife and I built our first Greek’s in Angola in 2001 and since then, we’ve built another 20 or so and been involved in building another dozen on top of that, including Avon, Plainfield and others.”
Cole says he had been looking for the perfect spot in Brownsburg for more than a decade.
In what he considered his No. 1 market, he wanted to be intentional about the property he purchased and eventually found it at 34 W. Main St.
Cole looks for property in downtown areas — a “quirky place” that stands out while also supporting local businesses and residents. He wants neighbors to come down to Greek’s on their bicycles on Friday nights and Little League teams to stop by after the big game, but he has to find the perfect spot first.
“We found a great property; a nice big house with nice bones and space for a big parking lot,” Cole says. “It’s a 100-year-old house and we wanted to keep the character and history of the home as much as possible, so we didn’t mess with the woodwork or flooring. But we did have to convert some of the rooms for kitchen space. We made everything ADA accessible, put a big deck out front for outdoor dining and created several dining areas in the interior. We’ll have the bike rack out there too. It was one of my tougher, if not the toughest, renovations to date, but we had a vision and we’re proud of what we have here.”
The house-turned-restaurant is open for customers to walk around and go upstairs, learning more about Greek’s through the history pieces displayed on the walls. The full restaurant and bar will offer the “best pizza I’ve ever had,” according to Cole.
“It’s a smaller mom-and-pop pizzeria with homemade sauce, custom-made cheeses and fresh ingredients we prepare in-house. We make fresh dough every single day and I think the taste sets us apart,” Cole says.
The menu includes appetizers such as breadsticks and cinnamon twists. There is an assortment of salads and sandwiches, including the meatball, baked ham and cheese, and grilled chicken bacon club. Of course, they also offer crowd favorites such as calzones, pasta and wings, along with a small taproom featuring beer and wine that seats 12 to 14 customers.
Cole enjoys creating the space. He enjoys adding something unique to a neighborhood or downtown area, and after operating his finished product for a while, he moves on to build another one.
“I believe in this company and I enjoy building them. I enjoy running them too, but then I see another adventure and I have to head in that direction,” Cole says. “We’re focusing all of our efforts on Brownsburg right now.”
Cole still talks to Karamesines today and says he believes he takes great pride in watching his dream of owning a business — and now supporting other business owners — grow.
“The fire is still in our hearts, so we keep pushing,” Cole says. “I’m really proud of it. I’ve put my heart and soul into this and I’m excited to see what it will become. We’ve had nothing but positive reactions in Brownsburg.”
Visit greekspizzeria.com for more information.
