Chris Tsaganis
Owner
Christo’s
Chris Tsaganis enjoys a unique position among restaurantuers, in that all that is needed is to say the name and everyone knows his restaurant, Christo’s, that it is located in Brockton, Mass., and that it is the home of the Greed Salad King. Its namesake and owner, 81-year-old Chris Tsaganis was the first to introduce the Greek Salad to Boston’s South Shore.
Chris was born in 1926 in Thoknia, Greece, and began his career working as a busboy. He served the Greek Army as an officer for three years, and when discharged, immigrated to Canada in the 1950s where he worked in restaurants, beginning as a dishwasher.
Chris moved to Brockton in 1955 and married Bessie Cappos. They first opened Peter’s Lunch, and then opened Christo’s in 1964. The late Mrs. Tsaganis, who designed all the restaurant menus, died in 1986.
If there was a key to his success, Mr. Tsaganis cited his family’s everyday presence. “We stay on top of it. I worked in a delicatessen once and the owners gave me good advice. The restaurant is like your home. You don’t invite people over for dinner and then go out and play golf and let the maid take care of it, because it is our home. You have to be here to take care of it,” he said.
Christo’s customers have enormous loyalty. “The kids I used to lift up into highchairs now bring their children – or in some cases, grandchildren,” said Mr. Tsaganis proudly.
