Ilias Pappas
CEO & Founder
Founder of Athenian Hospitality and Hellenic Kitchen. Raised in Lamia, Greece, he built his career on great food and heartfelt service — and the Greek spirit of philoxenia.
Our story
Modern Greek food, built for today.
Inspired by the energy of Greek food and the warmth of Greek hospitality, Hellenic Kitchen turns familiar Mediterranean flavors into a fast, craveable dining experience.
Hello, we're Hellenic Kitchen
A taste of Athens in Lexington.
Hellenic Kitchen is a modern Greek quick-service concept built to bring authentic Mediterranean flavor into settings that demand speed, consistency and broad appeal — from wraps and bowls to salads, plates and signature sauces.
Inspired by the vibrancy of Greek street food and the values of Greek hospitality, we pair craveable menu favorites with a format that works in the real world of high-volume dining.
The concept is powered by Athenian Hospitality, a company focused on building strong, people-centered dining programs for institutions and partners. Pull up a chair. Opa.
Built to perform
A concept designed for real-world performance.
Hellenic Kitchen is built to deliver freshness, speed and broad appeal in high-traffic settings — developed for higher education, athletic venues and retail dining.
A streamlined menu, minimal prep complexity and scalable training systems keep operations efficient, while strong unit economics and high perceived value make it work for guests and operators alike.
With years of industry experience, we’ve helped countless higher-education accounts serve thousands of meals a day — with no royalty fees and an operator-friendly licensing structure.
Our team
The people behind the project.
Brian Drew
VP of Growth
35+ years in business development across collegiate hospitality, business dining and sports & entertainment. Passionate about the student-athlete experience.
Greg S. Collins
Chief Financial Officer
A UK Master of Accountancy graduate with years in public accounting and hospitality tax. He focuses on process automation and data-driven operational insight.
Kostas Pappas
Chief Technical Officer
Leads technology strategy, platforms and digital operations — focused on practical systems that simplify operations and create better experiences for staff and guests.