For any budding restaurateur looking to get away from it all and carry on a great Greek Australian outback tradition, Tom and Mary’s Greek Taverna, 850 kms north of Adelaide, is on the market.

Established by Tom and Mary Kiosses in 1977, who made it famous for the quality of its Greek cusine and welcoming atmosphere, the restaurant has been owned for the past five years by Mario Souvertjis and Wendy Aquilina, both originally from the South Australian capital. Mario and Wendy carried on the Kiosses’ legacy and many of the original Greek dishes are still on the menu.

With fresh seafood flown up from the Angelakis Bros suppliers in the South Australian capital – with whom there’s a family connection – prawn saganaki is the taverna’s most famous dish, along with calamari, grilled whiting, and of course, souvlaki. But now it’s time to call last orders on Mario and Wendy’s outback adventure.

“I came here because I wanted somewhere different, and Mario came to mine opals, but it’s time for us to go back to Adelaide and be closer to family,” Wendy told Neos Kosmos.

Tom and Mary’s Greek Taverna.
Photo: Graham Mowbray.

“My kids are there and next month I’ll be spending my first Christmas with them in six years.”

Keen to see the business passed on to buyers who will continue its Hellenic culinary traditions, Wendy, who runs front of house while Mario cooks, says she prefers a private sale and will be delighted to help the new owners settle in.

“We’ll teach them how to run the place. If Mario and I can do it, anyone can!”

Considered the ‘gateway to the outback’ and the ‘opal mining capital of the world’, Coober Pedy has a resident population of less than 1,700, but thousands of tourists pass through the town in the peak season between April and October.

Mario (53) who learned his cooking from his Larnaca-born mother, says the taverna, which seats up to 120 diners, would make an ideal family business.
“Tourism’s the thing, we’re a stop on the Stuart Highway between Alice Springs and Port Augusta, and there’s nothing in between.

“In Coober Pedy, everything’s here such as hospitals and schools. The only things that are missing are McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken, but everyone’s sick of that stuff anyway.”

Mario and Wendy are looking for offers over $200,000.