Nick Poulos, Beloved Atlanta Restaurateur and Founder of Nick's Food to Go, Dies at 82

Nick Poulos, the beloved Atlanta restaurateur whose warmth, wit, and Greek cooking made Nick's Food to Go a Grant Park institution for more than three decades, passed away on June 22, 2026, at the age of 82 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Born Nikitas Papanikolopoulos on July 22, 1943, in Kalamata, Greece, Nick was raised with a deep appreciation for family, hard work, and hospitality-qualities that would shape his remarkable life. He immigrated to the United States in the 1960s, where he began working in a print shop before being drafted into the U.S. Army and serving during the Vietnam War.

In 1977, Nick returned to his hometown of Kalamata, where he met the love of his life, Eleni ("Helen"). Their shared devotion to family and their Greek heritage became the foundation of a life they built together in Atlanta.

In 1994, Nick and Helen opened Nick's Food to Go on Cherokee Avenue in Grant Park. What began as a neighborhood restaurant serving burgers and hot dogs soon became one of Atlanta's most beloved Greek eateries. Helen's authentic recipes, including gyros, souvlaki, spanakopita, and other traditional favorites, paired with Nick's unmistakable personality and welcoming spirit, earned the restaurant a fiercely loyal following. The restaurant also became known for serving one of Atlanta's most unexpectedly outstanding burgers.

As Grant Park evolved over the decades, Nick's Food to Go remained a constant gathering place where neighbors, city employees, first responders, construction workers, chefs, and visitors all felt at home. During its busiest years, the restaurant served more than 1,200 gyros each week-a testament to the quality of the food and the relationships Nick and Helen cultivated with their customers.

Although Nick retired from daily operations in 2014, he remained a familiar presence at the restaurant. Customers continued to stop by to see him, often leaving with a smile after one of his jokes or his famously candid observations. As his family wrote, "If you knew Nick, you knew he was truly a character. He had a zesty attitude, a quick wit, and never hesitated to tell you exactly what was on his mind. It was all part of his charm, and those who knew him best know he always meant it in good fun."

For the Poulos family, the restaurant was never just a business-it was home. Their children grew up working alongside their parents, learning the values of perseverance, generosity, and treating every customer like family. Today, that legacy continues through the next generation, with the family's eldest daughter carrying forward the tradition that Nick and Helen established.

Following his passing, Nick was returned to his birthplace of Kalamata, Greece, where he was laid to rest beside his beloved Helen, fulfilling the family's wish that they rest together in the land where their story began.

Nick Poulos leaves behind a legacy measured not only by the thousands of meals he served but also by the friendships he forged, the community he helped build, and the countless lives he touched through his generosity, humor, and hospitality. His spirit will live on in the family he cherished, the restaurant he built, and every customer who walked through its doors and was made to feel like family.

He is survived by his children,Evie Poulos and Angela Poulos, grandchildren, extended family, and the many friends and loyal patrons whose lives he enriched over the years.