Sun staff
George Grammas, co-founder of Grammas Pizza, passed away on Sept. 28.
“The community’s support has been overwhelming,” Nick Grammas, George’s son and owner of the Mt. Carmel location, said. “So many people have poured in and sent cards and flowers to the funeral.”
George Grammas, who was 74 years old, was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in October 2015 and suffered from pulmonary fibrosis; he passed away from cardiac arrest.
“In the end, it was just too hard on his heart,” Nick Grammas said.
Grammas Pizza, which has seven locations throughout Clermont County and one location in Florence, Kentucky, was started by brothers Pete Grammas and George Grammas in 1976.
George Grammas, who changed his last name from Grammatikakis because it was “impossible to pronounce,” was the last of four brothers to emigrate from Sparta, Greece. In 1974, he and his wife Pam Grammas, along with their daughter, traveled through New York and settled in Cincinnati, where they had extended family.
“They came here with $500 bucks in their pocket; they had nothing,” Nick Grammas said. “He came with a vision to pursue the American dream, and he proved that if you work hard enough, it’s out there.”
Despite having owned a restaurant in Greece, where the family also farmed olives, George Grammas started out by busing tables in Cincinnati.
Two of the Grammas brothers had gone on to find work in real estate, and before long, George and Pete Grammas joined up to start their pizza restaurant; the Mt. Carmel location was the first to be opened.
“He knew pizza was a good place to start; he had some relatives that were doing it,” Nick Grammas said. “When he opened it, it was about making a living; to start making a living with all of us.”
The brothers were “determined to make the best pizza,” according to the restaurants’ website. They cooked in a brick oven and used fresh-cut vegetables and the finest meats and cheeses available. They also made their pizza dough by hand, utilizing a bread recipe from Greece.
“We still do everything the same,” Nick Grammas said.
George Grammas went on to open his own location in Amelia; Nick Grammas, who was born in 1978, recalled his father’s commitment to the business.
“He worked every day from 10:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. when he first opened and for five years, and he never took a day off until he was sick,” Nick Grammas said, adding, “He’s instilled that work ethic in all of us. We all work seven days a week; it’s the restaurant life.”
Throughout the years, Grammas Pizza grew to be the pizza restaurant chain it is today.
“Each location is family owned; everyone, including cousins, aunts and uncles, has their own location,” Nick Grammas, who took over the Mt. Carmel location, said.
While George Grammas could barely speak English, he “loved his customers; he loved everyone. He always just loved the people here in Clermont County; they were open to him,” Nick Grammas described.
In fact, George Grammas, in addition to sponsoring local sports teams, often gave free food to area families in need. He also paid for some families’ utilities.
“He helped a lot of people throughout the years,” Nick Grammas said. “He’s always done that.”
George Grammas also gave his employees, many of whom have worked at Grammas Pizza for a decade or more, a lot of respect, according to Nick Grammas.
“They all loved working for him,” he said.
Recently, as his illness progressed, George Grammas started working at the Bethel location, where Pam Grammas continues to work.
In remembering his father’s legacy, Nick Grammas called upon the longstanding relationship customers have with Grammas Pizza.
“Everyone’s been staying loyal, obviously, as we we’ve been in business 40 years now,” he said. “[George Grammas] didn’t see them as customers, he saw them as friends, and over the years, that’s what he love the most; he enjoyed the people more than anything.”
Visitation and funeral services for George Grammas were held on Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. and noon, respectfully, at Holy Trinity St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, located at 7000 Winton Road in Cincinnati. His online obituary, where friends and family can leave condolences, is listed on the Spring Grove cemetery website at www.springgrove.org.