The Dionisopoulos family’s tradition of bringing their Greek roots to Metro Detroit began in the early 1960s. Upon immigrating to America, Niko and Vasili Dionisopoulos sought to show their love for their community through cooking. After supplying mainly to local churches and businesses, they opened The Golden Fleece restaurant in 1970. Nearly everyone that patronizes downtown Detroit has memories of the “Opa!” that accompanies a sizzling saganaki before diving into a gyro or lamb chops. Cousins Yanni and Spero Dionisopoulos, the sons of Niko and Vasili, pride themselves on continuing their family’s legacy of providing Metro Detroit with the true Greek experience.
“For a while we had this idea that we wanted to give our customers the opportunity to bring what we love most about Greece into their homes, and revamp the location to get back the original glory that Greektown had from 1915 to 1995,” says Yanni Dionisopoulos. While historic Greektown already has local and national recognition for the cuisine the district was named after, the cousins knew something was missing. Yanni explains that “‘Bakalikonn’ in Greek translates to ‘grocery store’ in English, and that’s exactly what we wanted to give our community.” Hence Bakalikon was born: a combined cafe, bar, and market.
Wanting to honor both the traditional aspects of Greektown and the increasing vibrance of Detroit’s bar and restaurant scene, Bakalikon consistently delivers a warm, modern, and welcoming ambience with the iconic and friendly spirit of Greek hospitality. “It was important for us to give our customers a high-end experience with a family feel for anyone and everyone to enjoy,” says Spero Dionisopoulos. True to their vision, the owners clearly payed close attention to detail in Bakalikon’s development to create an atmosphere that feels original, luxurious, and welcoming to all.
The walls are adorned with shelves stocked with imported products one might only otherwise find at a grocery store in Greece. Extra virgin olive oils sourced directly from Greek farms, imported snacks and candies, wines from Greece’s vineyards, and a seemingly endless supply of feta cheeses and other canned goods are just a few of the delicacies one might find. Beyond the expansive and careful selection of fine groceries, customers can enjoy freshly baked desserts and savory pastries with a cappuccino or authentic Greek coffee. In the evenings Bakalikon transforms into a lively and inviting space to enjoy a cocktail from an innovative rotating menu of beverages.
“Treating our customers like family is very important to us,” says Spero. “For us Greeks, food is love, and we’re really excited to share that with our community.” With a continually updated selection of products, weekly rotating wine specials, and the clearly felt authentic Greek experience, Bakalikon is a fantastic addition to historic Greektown. Bakalikon is open 11:00AM-11:00PM Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00AM-2:00AM Friday and Saturday.
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