The name Terkenlis is known around Greece thanks to its chain of patisserie shops in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, and Athens.

Baker Stavros Terkenlis began the business when he went to Thessaloniki from Asia Minor following the genocide, and created his own shop in 1948, putting a spin on already well-known delicacies in order to create something unique.

His take on the desserts proved popular, and soon his little store flourished. Within a matter of decades, his small enterprise has gone on to become a franchise that expands across Greece.

With his son Pavlos at the helm, the Greek bakery has decided to take its first steps on foreign shores with the opening on of their inaugural shop outside Greek borders with the creation of The Daily Greek in Earlwood, Sydney.

And given the reception the store received from the public, the decision was a wise one, with sweets and pastries flying off the shelves within a matter of hours at last Saturday’s grand opening.

The ovens at the bakery began to operate in the early morning hours of Saturday and didn’t stop throughout the day, with the aromas of tsoureki drawing droves and movement in full swing in order to satisfy the needs of the many customers who had been anticipating the opening of the bakery bringing with it the tastes of Greece.

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Newly-arrived Greeks who had long been craving for a taste of the franchise’s delicious chocolate tsoureki and mouth-watering stuffed Panorama triangles were the first to arrive.

But the idea quickly caught on and the long line gathered, drawing the attention of many passers by who came to see what all the fuss was about.

Eventually, the store owners were forced to announce that they had sold out, claiming that the level of attention they had received from the people was beyond even their most optimistic expectations.

Through a post on the store’s social media profile, the owners and staff also extended their gratitude for the warm welcome they received in Sydney and promised to continue working as hard as they could in order to offer them the delicious sweets that the Terkenlis franchise has gained Greek-wide fame for.

READ MORE: It’s almost tsoureki time!

Pavlos Terkenlis was in Australia for the opening, offering special training to the team from Sydney and creating many of his family’s trademark baked goods for the store’s first customers.

If this opening day was anything to go by, it should be a great venture for the Terkenlis group as they continue to expand and bring their incredible flavours to more places around the globe.

opening day | καλώς ορίσατε

A little snippet of this weekend's opening. If you happened to find yourself watching Pavlos Terkenlis making tsourekia in the display window – you'd know that he brought as much passion and skill as he could to open our Sydney store. Terkenlis' products (and of course his "famous Tsoureki" has been perfected by the Terkenlis family since 1948… the first original look and taste straight from Thessaloniki. Our ovens have not stopped for 2 days and our team have been working back to back. Thank you all so much for your support, patience and a stellar beginning of many happy memmories. Happy Sunday – καλώς ορίσατε!

Posted by The Daily Greek on Saturday, October 12, 2019