A Greek restaurant that opened in Bury St Edmunds just over two years ago has branched out into events.
The Olive Grove, in St John’s Street, a road known for its independent businesses, is owned by husband and wife team George Kontakos and Francesca Behjat, who also have a sister Olive Grove in Regent Street, Cambridge.
The Bury restaurant opened in September 2022 and Francesca said the first year and half had been ‘booming’, but the last six months ‘haven’t been good at all’ – which she believes is across the board in hospitality. However, she said things were starting to pick up.
Since October, the St John’s Street eatery has been doing live Greek music nights – something the Cambridge branch has always done – with the next date for people’s diaries being Thursday, January 30.
“Customers love that and come from all over for that,” said Francesca, a mother of three. “It’s a London-based band and they travel up and down the country to other Greek establishments to play music.”
There may be no plate smashing (health and safety, of course), but Francesca said they were ‘fun’ nights that got everyone dancing.
The Olive Grove, in Bury, has also been hosting weddings, corporate events and is looking to introduce Christmas wreath-making workshops.
Francesca said because they cook everything from fresh they were able to offer bespoke menus for customers.
She added: “We are trying to branch out more for the Bury community to make ourselves well-known and to say we are not just a Greek restaurant, we can also provide something bespoke for you, something niche.”
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Bury Olive Grove also has a new spring/summer menu on its way and is looking to increase its focus on cocktails.
There is currently a cocktail menu there, but Francesca believes there’s a big gap in the market for fresh cocktails.
•The Olive Grove, in Bury, is looking for more staff. This is across the board, but mainly in the kitchen.