Local residents can get a glimpse of Santorini in just minutes at Jimmy the Greek’s latest restaurant in Halton Hills.
The Toronto Premium Outlets (TPO) at Steeles and Trafalgar is the site of a first for the much-beloved Greek eatery - its inaugural dine-in location.
While Jimmy the Greek is traditionally found in places meant for a quick bite, like food courts, customers can now sit, relax and enjoy a meal while surrounded by interior design the evokes all things Greece.
Farshid Ghaemmaghami and his very good friend Rosalie Jesalva, who met while working at another Jimmy the Greek location, are running the show at the TPO.
“It’s not fast food, it is quality food served fast,” Ghaemmaghami said.
“There is this feeling that you are being served homemade Greek food in a restaurant setting complete with a Mediterranean atmosphere,” Jesalva added.
There is little difference between the menus of the TPO location and others like at the Eaton Centre in Toronto. Very much still present is the hot bar with ingredients laid out, helping customers not only see what goes into their meal, but also customize the food to their tastes.
In the two weeks since the Halton Hills branch has been open, the owners have noticed that the chicken souvlaki is the most popular item on the menu, similar to other locations. Rice, potatoes, gyro shreds, lamb and beef are all there too.
Perhaps the most Greek of the items is the spanikopita - a type of flaky spinach pie as Greek as olive oil. And don’t forget about the tzatziki sauce, which is served up by the barrel load.
“My favourite is the beef tenderloin souvlaki. It is the tenderest of the cuts. I tell my customers if you don’t like it, I will give your money back,” Ghaemmaghami said, adding that no one has asked for a refund.
Jesalva said her favourite item is the lamb souvlaki because “it is hard to cook” and that Jimmy the Greek’s lamb is “done right.”
The restaurant chain has its origins in an old eatery called Epikourion, which was founded by Greek immigrants Dimitrios 'Jimmy' Antonopoulos and his wife Helen Antonopoulos in 1977. They came up with the idea to create an on-the-go model when they saw an opportunity to combine fast food with home-cooked Greek food.
In 1985, the first Jimmy the Greek restaurant opened in Canada.
The TPO location is a nod to that original restaurant as well as Penelopes, another restaurant opened by the family. There's cobblestone tiling and arches that are often found in traditional Greek homes, and a long main table in the middle of the shop for “family-style” dining.
"By introducing our dine-in concept, we can create a more inviting atmosphere that encourages guests to enjoy their meals and connect with our brand's heritage," Jimmy the Greek Director of Operations Nicole Mitrothanasis said in an emailed statement.
Ghaemmaghami moved to Canada from his native Iran at the age of 10 in the 2000s. His first job was at a Jimmy the Greek location in Ottawa when he was 16. Since then, he has worked at the branches in Winnipeg and Toronto.
Jesalva moved to Canada in 2009 and worked in elder care. When the pair met at a Toronto Jimmy the Greek location, they hit it off as friends.
When the new location was offered to Ghaemmaghami, he asked for his friend to come along.
“We’ve been together for so many years. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner,” Ghaemmaghami said.
The restaurant is located in the northeast corner of the Toronto Premium Outlets mall, just across from Lululemon.
More details about Jimmy the Greek are available on JimmyTheGreek.com.
