During the summer of 2015, on a sunny Saturday morning, my wife Danielle and I visited the local farmer’s market in Sparta, NJ. As we walked along observing all the artisans and farmers, it reminded me of the days working with my dad at his busy Greek specialty store in Fairview, NJ. I remember playing with the register buttons as a kid and lining up all my G.I. Joe’s on barrels of Greek olives. When I got older, I would go straight to the store after school each day to help my dad run the family business.

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It is hard to believe how much I enjoyed and miss working at my dad’s store. That day, visiting the local farmers market, I envisioned selling my family’s Greek specialties at the Sparta Farmers Market. My wife, 8 months pregnant at the time, thought it was a great idea too, and “The Greek Kitchen” was born (along with my son just a few weeks later).

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In preparation for opening our farmer’s market stand that September, I spent countless hours observing and writing down recipes shared by my mom. Documenting some of these recipes proved challenging since my mom’s way of measuring often involved “a little of this” and “a good amount of that.” However, it made me nostalgic for the summers I spent in my small village in northern Greece. My cousins and I would watch my Yiayia (Greek for grandma) cook for all of us with so much pride and love (but apparently very little actual measuring). From an early age, I understood that a Greek family’s heart truly is in the kitchen. In fact, my Yiayia is still in the village cooking for the entire family to this very day.

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My son, Noah, was just 6 weeks old when Danielle and I started our little stand at the Sparta Farmers Market that September. The Sparta Farmers Market is Northern New Jersey's largest local farmers market, featuring over 30 local vendors and farmers each week. I was nervous and unsure of what to expect but excited to interact with the other vendors and customers and give them a small taste of Greece. The other artisans, farmers, and customers welcomed us warmly, making us feel at home right away.

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Each week, we prepare our favorite Greek food with the same pride as my Yiayia. Our menu changes weekly, but we always offer Greek classics like Spanakopita, Baklava, and Tzatziki. Our customers’ favorites include Spicy Feta Dip, made with hot peppers and Feta cheese, and Bougatsa, a light and fluffy custard pastry topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. We also create a variety of other desserts, such as Rizogalo (rice pudding) and Koulourakia (braided butter cookies).

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Now, over nine years later, our business, family, and aspirations have grown. In late 2024, we purchased a food truck, allowing us to share our menu with the local community year-round, not just during the market season.

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We are truly honored to make our family a part of the Greek time-honored tradition of cooking and sharing with the community. As a small local business, we’ve experienced incredible growth and success and are thrilled to see our friends at the market every Saturday morning.