The Greek Palace opens at Adelaide Central Market Plaza
An Adelaide festival favourite has branched out into its first bricks-and-mortar store, but the timing could not have been worse.
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A new cafe in the Central Market Plaza is pleading with customers to return to the precinct despite mass closures to make way for major renovations.
The Greek Palace has built a loyal following over the past 12 years with its food trucks a mainstay at Adelaide festival events, including the Garden of Unearthly Delights and Gluttony.
But in an effort to even out the seasonal spikes centred around the busy festival period, proprietor Xanthos Hatzimihail opened his first permanent shop in the Central Market Plaza.
The grand opening, about six weeks ago, coincided with the closure of popular supermarket Wang’s and the closure of 15 businesses in the once-thriving food court.
The closures are to make way for a major redevelopment in the food court that will reduce the total number of businesses from 20 to eight.
The Greek Palace is opposite the site of the former Obun Chef Japanese pancake business that closed last week.
Mr Hatzimihail said business had been slow since opening, and had signed a lease when Wangs was open and the food court operational.
“The majority of the food court is now closing, it’s down to five traders and of course Goodies and Grains around the corner closed about a month ago,” he said.
“We opened six weeks ago and while we signed the agreement, everything was open and unfortunately as we opened, everything started closing.”
Mr Hatzimihail said he was made aware of the food court renovations when signing the lease, but the Wang’s closure took him by surprise.
“It may have changed our decision, but I don’t want to go down that road.
“We still have the food trucks but summer is when our food trucks are busy.
“At the moment events are really few and far between but come September-October, they really start picking up again.
“So we just have to survive until then.”
Despite the slow start to the new venue, Mr Hatzimihail said business had picked up slightly but he was nervous about the months ahead.
Also facing an uncertain future is food court stalwart Laksa House, whose owner Richard Lee said may close at the plaza in three months.
Laksa House has operated in the plaza food court for the past 25 years but the cost of reopening in the new renovated precinct could be prohibitive.
Mr Lee said it would cost between $250,000 to $300,000 to refit his shop and become one of the eight to operate in the redesigned plaza.
Mr Hatzimihail said his family-run businesses was centred on giving people a “good experience and good service”.
“We’re a family business so we treat everybody like they’re coming to our house,” he said.
“We enjoy hospitality and just want to be part of the markets.
“Our food truck business is quite large but at this time of the year, everything goes so quiet so we just needed something new to expand into so there was a good income all year round.”
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