Pete Bikas Greek Restaurant Owner: Struggle and Success

This week featured photograph is looking south down Broad Street from the intersection of Broad and Main streets.  The signs along the building fronts identify long time Brevard businesses including Morris Pharmacy, Jones Newsstand, Crest Five & Dime and Varner’s Drug. 

Snow remained piled in the middle of downtown streets
following a March 1960 snowstorm.

On the north side of Crest is a large sign for Bikas Restaurant—Home of Country Ham.  Although Bikas Restaurant only operated under that name from 1958-1960 owner Pete Bikas was a well-known restaurateur.

Bikas was born in Greece in 1893. He served in the Greek cavalry and in King Constantine’s Royal Bodyguards.  During the revolution in Greece in 1924 Bikas decided it was time to leave though.  He made his way through France, Spain and Cuba before arriving in Macon, Georgia.  Over the next ten years Bikas would purchase a restaurant in Greenville, SC, become a U.S. citizen and send for his wife and son in Greece.  Bikas also helped other relatives, including his three brothers, come to the United States.

By 1942 Bikas had purchased Galloway’s Restaurant on South Broad Street in Brevard. This establishment would later be known as Bikas Restaurant.  

Bikas built a home in Brevard and raised his family here in the mountains that reminded him of his native village in Greece.  For many years he regularly commuted between Brevard and Greenville.  In addition to restaurants in both locations, he also owned and operated two billiard parlors in Greenville. 

Multiple attempts were made to hold-up Bikas at his businesses.  An undated newspaper article reads, “Robbers, and would-be robbers, in Greenville, S.C., should learn to leave Pete Bikas, former Brevard restaurateur, alone. Three times they have attempted to rob him, and each time Pete got the best of them.”

Bikas died in 1978 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident several months earlier.  He is buried at Gillespie-Evergreen Cemetery on Country Club Rd. in Brevard.  To learn more about Bikas’ life visit the NC Room at the Transylvania County Library.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs. For more information, comments, or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.