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On September 26, 2026, the realization of a dream became a reality with the inauguration of Athènes Park, recognizing a beloved Pointe-Claire institution on the site of the former Walton strip mall. Once home to a larger shopping plaza with a grocery store, a bank, and a variety of neighbourhood services, the site holds many memories for generations of Pointe-Claire residents. For decades, people both young and old came to Athens, experiencing a memorable slice of Pointe-Claire history.

For more than four decades, the Papadimitrios and Apostolakos families served up piping-hot pizza, poutines, and much more to local residents. Athens Restaurant-Pizzeria became a landmark destination on the border of the Northview and Lakeside Heights districts, attracting generations of visitors and becoming a cornerstone of the neighbourhood.

With its mini-jukeboxes in every booth, vintage décor, distinctive green seating, and a milkshake blender that could probably survive another 40 years, the charm of Athens Restaurant-Pizzeria was rivaled only by the family who ran it. Customers were treated like family, with the restaurant serving as a community gathering place where advice and friendly conversation were dished out along with a giant serving of cheesy goodness.

Athens originally opened in 1970, founded by the Spiliotakis family. In 1972, it was purchased by their son-in-law, Harry Papadimitrios, along with his brother George and sister Maria and her husband, Peter Apostolakos. The Papadimitrios family had emigrated from Sparta, Greece, and went on to make their mark on the Pointe-Claire community through the restaurant. Athens remained in the family for more than four decades, with a brief interruption in May 2014, when George decided to retire. Convinced by Dimosthenis to reopen with reduced hours, the restaurant carried on until 2016, when the strip mall closed, and the property was slated for redevelopment into single-family homes.

A rare source of late-night eats for hungry teens and tavern-goers, particularly in a residential neighbourhood, Athens and its owners became a fixture in the area. For many customers, a trip to Athens was about much more than getting something to eat, it was about seeing familiar faces and being part of the community.

In 2019, Dimosthenis Papadimitrios, George’s son, launched a petition to have the new park named after the local landmark. The effort eventually succeeded, with Pointe-Claire City Council formally approving Athènes Park as the park’s official name in September 2024.

In attendance at the September 26, 2026 inauguration ceremony were Mayor John Belvedere and members of the city council, former mayor Morris Trudeau, members of the Papadimitrios and Apostolakos families, and many fans of the former restaurant who came to celebrate the legacy of Athens.

The event closed with a symbolic pizza-cutting ceremony and the unveiling of a plaque recounting the history of Athens Restaurant-Pizzeria and the site where generations of Pointe-Claire residents gathered, ate, talked, and made memories.

To learn more about the history of Athens Restaurant-Pizzeria, watch Jason Bolanis’s Endangered Stories interview with George and Dimosthenis Papadimitrios. For a nostalgic visit, you can also take a look at this video.