Houston’s Hottest New Greek Restaurant Keeps It All In Family By Design — The Story Of Yiayia Kitchen’s Olive Tree

A s waiters hustle through the 4,300-square-foot restaurant and the throng of diners feast on dishes from the grills of Yiayia’s Greek Kitchen, the bustling scene plays out against a tableau that affectionately pays tribute to the Pappas family’s Greek heritage and to Mary Pappas, the yiayia (grandmother) whose culinary legacy set the stage for the latest Houston restaurant in the Pappas Restaurants stable. But don’t expect typical Greek restaurant decor.

No Agean turquoise accents here. Rather, Yiayia offers a fresh take on Greek design where dark green is the operative accent color. On a recent tour of the restaurant with Evy Pappas, chief design officer for Pappas Restaurants, she decoded the thinking behind this unexpected approach.

“My vision on restaurant design: So many restaura