Bringing Greece to Altona: ‘Ellines’ grocery store becomes a cultural oasis for Melbourne’s Greek community and beyond
If you live in the western part of the city, you have surely heard of ‘the Greek of Second Avenue’ in Altona North.
The Greek grocery store has been around for years, but something changed last year, referring to both the façade and the interior of the shop, and the atmosphere created by its new owners.
Tasos Mykoniatis and his wife, Toula Orfanou, have been ‘the Greeks’ of Second Avenue in North Altona for a year now, and are lovingly taking care of the needs of the local community and the Greek diaspora of Melbourne’s western suburbs with Greek products.
CAN’T ESCAPE DESTINY
Tasos arrived in Australia from Mytilene in 2011 for a vacation and to visit his relatives. He met Toula when he accompanied a relative of his on a visit to her ancestral home.
Their acquaintance did not have any follow-up, and after a year, Tasos returned to Greece. However, his life would change forever, something he would soon realise.
“When I went to Greece, I realised that this is where I should be (in Australia). I don’t know, it felt like I was born for here. I stayed in Greece for eight months and went crazy. I thought, ‘I need to do something to go back,’ you know?”
Tasos Mykoniatis, a native of Mytilene, found a way and returned with a student visa to settle in Altona. The following years were filled with studies, work, and the effort to find his footing in the new place and build his life here.
Toula entered his life again, not just as an acquaintance but as his partner, and they married in 2015.
Raised in Albert Park, she found her fate was in Altona, where she met Tasos. “We came over here in March or April of ’15 to see the house and get it ready, and the first thing I saw here were the shops that I didn’t know. So spontaneously, I turned to Toula and said, ‘If we had a shop with Greek products, it would be perfect,’” says Tasos to Neos Kosmos.
“And eventually, it happened. We’ve been doing this for a year now,” says Toula.
FROM ‘ELLINAS’ TO GREEK MEETS WEST
The stars aligned, and the couple’s wish came true a few years later, in 2020. A chance encounter between Tasos and the former owner of the Greek grocery store on Second Avenue, one late evening when Tasos went down to take out the trash and found the other in the shop, planted the seed for the revival of the hope to have “a shop with Greek products.”
Shortly after, they shook hands, and within a year, in March 2021, Tasos and Toula became the new “Ellines” (Greeks) of the grocery store in Altona.
The couple renovated the store inside and out, rearranging the space, giving it a Greek touch on the facade, changing some of the equipment, and enriching the merchandise.
“Our goal is to offer Greek products only, increasing the variety in items and brands,” says Toula as she guides us through the aisles of the grocery store that feels and smells so Greek.
“IT SMELLS LIKE ‘LOLA’ HERE”
At that moment, Mrs Kalliopi enters for her daily shopping. As soon as she notices our presence, she approaches and says enthusiastically:
“This is our local store, the best one, the cleanest, with the best prices, the best products, and the friendly owners. When you enter, your heart opens. They welcome you with a smile. It smells like ‘lola’ here, not Australia.”
I follow her as she shops and ask if she finds the Greek products she wants.
“Everything, everything. It’s like being in Greece. We don’t lack anything. Whatever exists in Greece, we have here, and if we can’t find something or if we miss it, we just tell it to our kids here, and they bring it straight to us. Like these biscuits that are my favorites” (she points to a package of cookies in her basket).
Equally excited is Mrs Despina (Daisy) Kalogridou, another customer, who says it is a necessity to have a store with Greek products that serve the Greeks in the west of Melbourne.
“The kids have all the Greek products. They even have (Greek) drinks. There’s nothing else like this in this neighborhood of Melbourne. […] We have a lot of Greekness here. Our community needed something like this,” says Mrs Kalogridou.
THE ‘GREEK MEETS WEST’ CONCEPT
The “Ellines” grocery store stands out for the diversity and quality of its products. The shelves are lined with Greek coffee, spoon sweets, rusks, olive oil, feta, pastries, spices, herbs, traditional Greek products, and even Greek spirits such as ouzo, mastiha, and tsipouro.
The name of the store, “Ellines” (Greeks), gives a hint of something more. The owners’ vision is to create a place where Greek culture meets the western culture of Australia, offering traditional Greek products and a taste of Greece through food.
The couple’s love for Greek cuisine and their desire to introduce it to others led them to organise Greek cooking classes, where participants can learn to make traditional Greek dishes.
“We wanted to create a place that would become a cultural hub, where people can find everything they need, and can experience a bit of Greece,” says Tasos.
‘ELLINES’ – A SYMBOL OF GREEKNESS IN ALTONA
With its bright blue facade and the Greek flag flying high, “Ellines” grocery store has become a symbol of Greekness in Altona. The locals recognise it as a place that keeps the Greek spirit alive.
It is not just a grocery store; it is a meeting point for the Greeks of the area, a place where they can connect with their roots, find familiar products, and share stories and experiences.
The success of “Ellines” is the result of the hard work and dedication of Tasos and Toula, who have created not just a business but also a community.
“We have met wonderful people through this store. Our customers have become friends. We have people who come from Geelong and Bendigo. They travel from far just to come here and support us. We are grateful for their love and support,” says Tasos.
“We are here to serve the Greeks, to be part of the Greek community in Australia, and to make them proud,” adds Toula.
With their love for Greece and their passion to share it with others, Tasso and Toula have created a corner of Greece in Altona, where the Greek spirit thrives and the flavours of Greece tantalise the senses.
“Ellines,” serves as a bridge between cultures and preserves Greek heritage.
THURSDAYS BELONG TO THE RETIREES
In respect for the elderly in our community, Tasos and Toula have dedicated a day of the week to them. “Every Thursday, we offer a 5 per cent discount for retirees on everything they purchase, except cigarettes, newspapers, and drinks,” says Tasos.
It’s a convenience for the Greeks, especially for those who have mobility issues. Everyone came here young on the ships, and now they’re all at a certain age, and if they can’t come, they send their children,” adds Mrs Stavroula, as she brings her groceries to the counter.
The pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, has resulted in higher transportation costs, so the couple tries to ensure that inflation doesn’t impact the prices of the products they sell. “We try our best to keep them at reasonable prices, but every week, whatever we bring changes. Everything keeps changing,” says Tasos.
HERE IT SMELLS LIKE GREECE
My conversation with the couple became increasingly challenging, as the customers kept arriving, and kept seeking their assistance. I discreetly moved into the background, took photos, and before bidding farewell to Tasos and Toula, I stayed to observe the bustling activity and listen to conversations that reminded me of Greece.
Coincidentally, I am writing this piece from Greek soil, and I feel the need to say it: Tasos and Toula’s grocery store smelled more like Greece than the locals who now resemble a western homogenous culture…
Source: Neoskosmos