TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Jack Pappas, son of local Greek cuisine legend Louis Pappas, has died at the age of 91.
Born on Jan. 6, 1930, in Tarpon Springs, Florida, Jack was the first person to receive an athletic scholarship at Tarpon Springs High School. He would continue his athletic career, playing defensive tackle for the University of Florida between 1949 and 1951.
However, Jack, like many in his family, would be deeply involved in the family business. As a young man, he worked alongside his family in the original Louis Pappas Riverside Cafe in Tarpon Springs.
The restaurant became world-famous not just because of its authentic Greek meals, but for its original Greek salad with potato sald underneath.
He and his brothers would help the business grow in 1975 by building what would be become the thousand-seat Pappas Riverside Restaurant.
In the early 2000s, the Pappas family would sell the restaurant. It would officially close its doors in 2005.
Louis L. Pappas, a third-generation Pappas family member, has tried to keep the restaurant's legacy alive with the Louis Pappas Fresh Greek restaurant in Bradenton.
