You are reading

Owner of Omonia Cafe to open former Uncle George’s restaurant, aims to reassert Greek feel to Broadway

Uncle George's, located on the ground floor of 34th and Broadway

Uncle George’s, located on the ground floor of 34th and Broadway

Nov. 2, 2016 By Hannah Wulkan

A local restaurateur plans to breathe new life in to a venerable Broadway eatery.

Ioannis Arvanitis, the owner of Omonia Café, plans to reopen the former Uncle George’s restaurant at 33-19 Broadway as a new Greek eatery called Amylos, hoping to revive the spirit that he says Broadway has lost.

“Broadway used to be the number one avenue in Astoria,” Arvanitis said, explaining that there used to be several Greek restaurants nearby, including Uncle George’s, which closed in 2013.

“Now I’m here by myself, and I don’t feel good,” he said. “I want to make new life on Broadway.”

Arvanitis said that the new restaurant would be a slightly more upscale version of the former Uncle George’s, but similar in its focus on Greek and Mediterranean food.

He hired a chef from Greece and plans to serve classic Greek dishes including lamb and shish kabobs in an environment that welcomes the community.

He explained that he opened Omonia in 1977, and his 40 years of experience on Broadway has given him insight as to how his restaurant could be successful.

“I know what customers want,” Arvanitis said. “Good food and good prices.”

Arvanitis acquired the property in 2012 for $1.5 million, according to property records, and since then has completely renovated the building, adding a fourth floor and constructing five apartments.

Construction is still underway at the new building, but Arvanitis said he expects to open the restaurant no later than March.

He added that he does not expect a conflict between his new establishment and Omonia Café, despite the fact that they are about a block away from one another, given that Omonia is primarily a bakery and Amylos will be a restaurant.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

4 Comments

Click for Comments 
Aphrodite P Kokotsis

Bravo! Good to see Astoria staying Greek.
It was always a pleasure to walk in Astoria and be able to have a great selection of stores to pick from.
Καλες δουλειες!

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Catch the fall vibe at these western Queens breweries

Sep. 3, 2025 By Jessica Militello

September rings in the start of Oktoberfest from mid-September through October, featuring special brews, fun events and more fall fun. Western Queens is filled with breweries to enjoy seasonal brews, fall flavors and the start of cooler weather as Autumn approaches, making it a perfect time to meet up with friends at these local spaces.

Op-Ed | Four years after Hurricane Ida, Queens deserves real climate resilience

Sep. 2, 2025 By Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas

Four years ago, Hurricane Ida tore through our neighborhoods of East Elmhurst, Corona and Jackson Heights, leaving behind devastation we will never forget. We lost neighbors to the floodwaters. Families saw their homes destroyed, their basements wiped out, their lives upended. Immigrant families—so many of them undocumented—were hit the hardest, often excluded from relief altogether. Ida was not just a storm; it was a wake-up call.