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The Founaris Brothers,
Angelo and Demetrios, traveled from Canada to Pensacola, Florida looking
for a restaurant location so they could bring their original Greek recipes
to the area. A vacant building which was formerly a fish market, was available
at the corner of Ninth Avenue and Cervantes Street. The close proximity
to downtown Pensacola made this a prime location. The Founaris brothers
bought the property and remodeled the interior of the building so that
it would be suitable for their pizza, gyros, subs, salads, and Greek specialty
items. Founaris Brothers Greek Restaurant began operations in 1981. The
brothers and their wives successfully ran the restaurant for nine years.
In 1990, Angelo and Stella Founaris wanted to return to Canada, so they
listed the restaurant for sale.
Bill and Janet Webster
owned and operated a deli-style sandwich shop for thirteen years in Pensacola's
largest regional mall. Since they wanted to try a larger full service
restaurant, the Websters sold the sandwich shop and bought the Founaris
Bros. Greek Restaurant on May 14, 1990. After a fourteen day training
period to learn all the secret recipes and the day to day operations,
the Websters took over and successfully operated the restaurant for ten
years. During this time, they expanded the menu with additions of pasta
dishes, appetizers and other items they served in the sandwich shop. The
Websters closed the restaurant in May 2000 and took some time off to travel
and relax.
Mohammad
Tehranian and his family were regular customers of the Websters and expressed
interest in re-opening Founaris Brothers Greek Restaurant. Steve Tuck,
who had worked with Mohammad for over fifteen years in a popular family
restaurant chain in Pensacola, joined as a partner. The Websters trained
the Tehranian and Tuck families in the operation of the restaurant. Founaris
Bros. Greek Restaurant reopened April 3, 2001 at 6911 Pensacola Boulevard
(Car City) in the front of the Palm Court Inn. The restaurant seats 125
guests and has three dining rooms. The menu has been expanded to include
new pasta dishes, appetizers and desserts. Additionally, a daily special,
created by Steve Tuck, is offered each day. The restaurant is now in the
process of expanding to offer private dining and banquet areas. Founaris
Bros. continues to grow in our home town. In the future, we hope to offer
more sites around Pensacola, and franchise opportunities continue to be
available.
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