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Greenies
Most of what we know of Greeenies history we know from Zachary Matiatos, who bought Greenies Restaurant in 1948. Though the name Greenie’s had been around since before world War II, when the restaurant was opened by a fellow named Greenie, Matiatos got a new name long after he bought the restaurant. One of my first customers, a Mr. Myers, who owned Zenith cleaners, said one day, ‘I’m going to call you Jack,’ and the name stuck,” remembers Matatos, “Ever since, that’s what everyone calls me.” After what he recalls as at least 8 Atlantic crossings, Jack arrived in Norfolk in 1948 as a 23-year old seaman aboard a Greek vessel. It was here on this trip that Jack met his wife, Rosaly. “We actually met again in Norfolk,” related Jack. “I knew her in Greece where she and I were both born, and had known her all my life,” Though “Lola” as Jack calls her, was born in Greece, she held dual citizenship in that country and the United States because her father was an American citizen. Five years after his marriage to Lola, in 1953, Jack also became an American citizen. Jack’s uncle, James Matiatos, was instrumental in getting Jack into the restaurant business. During the Roaring 20’s, Uncle James had been in business with jack’s father and two other brothers, running one of the largest cafeterias in New York City. The Depression was not kind to them, however, and they lost the business and James Matiatos eventually settled in Norfolk. The elder Matiatos persuaded Jack to stay in Norfolk and go into business with him, and Jack’s career as a restaurateur was launched. Six months after they bought Greenies, however, Jack’s uncle died, leaving Jack on his own with the new venture. In those days Jack remembers getting repeat business from the same families, who came, year after year to stay in Ocean View cottages. “Families came to Ocean View from cities and small towns all over Virginia,” Jack said. “but not now.” “I remember watching children grow up, seeing them every summer,” he said. “that was from 1950 to 1966 and business was very good then. And summers were terrific.” One of Jack’s favorite stories of the 50’s is of the summertime crowd. “It was really something,” Jack likes to say, “There was so much business in the summertime that I had to pay a policeman $10 - a lot of money in those days - to let 10 more people in after letting 10 out.” “Of course prices were a lot different back then,” he lamented, “a whole plate of shrimp and oysters used to sell for 75 cents (during the mid-50s) and we would sometimes serve a 100 customers a day.”
Much of the business Jack attributes to the Ocean View Amusement Park, which he says was a big family attraction. “Our biggest decline was after the park was torn down,” he said.
Today Greenies is owned by the Boone Family and is one of the best known and best loved Pubs in Norfolk VA - 04/18-2005 Menu Calendar Park Schedule |
