Step back into 1960s Charlotte with a visit to Tatsis Restaurant — but you’ll want to go soon.
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Family-owned Tatsis Restaurant is a place where everybody knows your name. And while most people associate the popular catchphrase with the show “Cheers,” it can certainly be the motto of the longstanding Charlotte restaurant, too.
For more than 60 years, Charlotte residents have come in and out of the doors of Tatsis — a homestyle cooking eatery — for an inexpensive hot meal. Now it’s evolved into more than just a restaurant but a local gathering spot for fellowship and community.
“Everyone is on a first-name basis here,” Peter Yiottis, co-owner of Tatsis Restaurant, told CharlotteFive. “We treat each other like family. There are so many stories we could tell from over these 60-plus years.”
From Hutchinson Street Grill to Tatsis Restaurant
Before Graham Street became what it is today, it was Hutchinson Avenue. One of the last remnants of this is the Hutchinson Shopping Mall sign, located just across from the Keswick entrance of Camp North End.
In the 1940s, there was a small hamburger joint on the street called Hutchinson Avenue Grill. It was located in an old streetcar, with only three booths for guests to dine. In 1954, Peter Tatsis uprooted his life in New York City, moved to Charlotte and purchased the restaurant. He ran the restaurant as is until 1961.
In 1961, Nick and Georgia Yiottis — parents of Peter Yiottis — joined Peter Tatsis as partners, and they rebranded the restaurant to Tatsis. It moved from the streetcar into a building on the corner of Graham and Franklin streets.
“Mr. Tatsis’ wife and my father are first cousins,’‘ Peter Yiottis said. “Our family has always enjoyed cooking, and honestly my mother and Mr. Tatsis were really great cooks, so they wanted to offer home-cooked meals in the restaurant instead.”
Yatsis said the restaurant did well early on from the simple decision to add “homecooking” to its signage.
“My mom has always said we were the first restaurant in Charlotte to do this and that it was our key to success.”
Around 1975, Tatsis decided to part ways with the Yiottis family to launch his own restaurant, The Patriot, on Kings Drive. The Yiottises kept the restaurant name and relocated to the current building, where the restaurant has remained since.
Peter and his brother Danny have worked in the restaurant since they were small boys, as young as age 10.
“Sadly, once my brother and I decide to retire, that will likely be the end of Tatsis,” Peter said. Our children don’t have plans to take over, and, honestly, we’ve never forced them to.”
All are welcome in this family environment
What many residents who frequent the restaurant will tell you is that it truly is a family environment. Even during times when segregation and other racial and socioeconomic issues plagued the city, the Yiottis family held true to their core values of treating everyone with respect.
“When my parents first relocated to this building, the health department wanted them to install four bathrooms — one for white men, one for white women, one for Black men and the fourth for Black women. But they refused.”
Instead, the couple had one bathroom for men and one for women. The third bathroom was converted into an employee bathroom, and the fourth became a storage closet.
Omelets, chicken and dumplings and more
Tatsis has always been known for its cheap breakfast plates and daily lunch specials, even today.
“Our Thursday chicken and dumplings lunch special has always been a hit. We’ve had to stop serving it recently due to my current health issues, but once I’m back, it’ll be back on the menu, too.” Peter will soon undergo open-heart surgery and will take time to recover after. His brother Danny will continue to run the restaurant.
Other popular dishes include country-style steak, eggs, grits and the fried perch and flounder offered during breakfast.
“French toast has become a hit lately, as well,” Yiottis said.
So, whether you pop in for the hot breakfast, to fellowship with your community or to simply share a meal with family, you can always guarantee that everyone at Tatsis will certainly know your name.
Tatsis Restaurant
Location: 2328 N Graham St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Neighborhood: Tryon Hills
This story was originally published June 1, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
