Pappous Greek Kitchen, Yorktown
Photo credit: Neal Rentz
Neal’s Aug. 28 NWE BOW Pappous Greek Kitchen Yorktown resident Rui Cunha explained last week Pappous is the Greek word for grandfather and said family has been an important part not just of his personal life but of his professional life.
“My wife’s father (Konstantino Giannopoulos) has been a big influence and I look up to him a lot,” Cunha said. “He’s just a good all-around gentleman.”
Cunha’s wife, Vasiliki, who is of Greek descent, does most of the cooking in the new eatery and their oldest son, Andrew, is working as a cook and he will be the restaurant’s maître d’ in about a month. Cunha and his oldest son and his father, Mario, did the renovations on the former Friendly’s restaurant, which he described as “one of the most rewarding experiences” or his life.
Cunha said his wife’s father owned a coffee shop with a Greek influence in Manhattan for many years. “She was there when she was a little girl. And she honed all her skills. And she’d be right next to him watching him,” Cunha said.
Cunha has worked in the restaurant business since he was 14.
Owning a restaurant is nothing new for Cunha; he previously owned eateries in Bronxville and Hartsdale. “Yorktown was the normal progression,” he said. “I live in Yorktown and I felt there was a need for Greek restaurant in Yorktown.”
Cunha, who is of Portuguese descent, said the first restaurant he owned in Hartsdale served the food of Portugal. But while the Portuguese food he served was very popular, it did not have the balance of Greek food, he said. “There’s a romance to Greek cuisine,” he said. “Everything originates from Greek.”
Pappous is an establishment that has both dine-in service and “we do a phenomenal take-out here,” Cunha said.
The new restaurant offers traditional Greek specialties. “Because Yorktown was a new market for us we went with a limited menu to see what would work out,” Cunha said. “People are very happy with the menu. We’re going to be adding on to it. We’re going to be adding some of the classics.”
Additional classics like spinach pie and lamb and chicken kabobs will be added to the menu and the restaurant will also serve specials like lamb stew, he said
Cunha explained why he enjoys owning restaurants. “I’m a hard worker and I like to set my own hours. Nine to five just wasn’t for me,” he said. “I love the restaurant business.”
Pappous Greek Kitchen is located at 1983 Commerce St. in Yorktown. For more information, call 914-455-2111or visit https://pappousgreekkitchen.com. The restaurant is open daily, except Monday, from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
