image description — Stella Giannaris, her husband Dimitris Sfakianakis and their two daughters, Melina and Mariza Sfakianakis, will be running — along with their son Petros Sfakianakis, who is not picture — Olympic Pizza Family Restaurant at the former Michael's Restaurant location on Route 2.

Olympic Pizza Opens In Former Michael's Restaurant

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
09:23AM / Saturday, August 13, 2011Print Story | Email Story

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Michael's Restaurant may have changed owners but Greek and Italian food will still be cooked at that location.

Stella Giannaris has leased the building and opened Olympic Pizza Family Restaurant on Tuesday.

The restaurant specializes in Greek and Italian food straight from the homeland. Giannaris has been waiting for an opportunity to move her family from Athens, Greece, to her childhood home and when Michael's went on the market — she got it.

"I used to come here when I was 7," Giannaris said last week, sitting in a booth at her new restaurant. "It's nice here. Williamstown is a very nice area."

Her family has a long history of owning local restaurants in the county. Her father opened a pizza place in Pittsfield in 1965, where Giannaris grew up, and now her mother runs Christo's in North Adams. Giannaris later moved to the family's homeland but for the last year, with political turmoil and her children creeping up on their college years, she has been looking for an opportunity to come back.

"I think kids have more opportunities in this country," Giannaris said. "There is a lot going on in Greece right now."

Giannaris' mother, Mary, is friends with Michael's owner Cindy Nikitas and once the news spread that she was going to sell the business, Mary Giannaris jumped right in to help bring her daughter home.

"We wanted to move here from Greece and my parents wanted to do something for us," Stella Giannaris said. "We signed the lease two months ago... I just got here a month ago."

In just those two months not only did the family of five move halfway across the world but also renovated the restaurant's kitchen and bathrooms, repainted the inside and redecorated the building. Stella Giannaris said her long history of working in her parents' restaurants have allowed her to hit the ground running.

The restaurant will be similar to Christo's but with a larger menu, she said. The family, running the new restaurant together, will be cooking up an array of Greek and Italian specials as well as offering takeout and delivery. Olympic Pizza will be open every day from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.

"It's a family business," Stella Giannaris emphasized.

Tags: pizza,

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My husband and I had dinner at Olympic Pizza and we will go back often. The portions, prices and service are wonderful. The food was so tasty. It was a real treat.
from: kathy	on: 08-14-2011 08:22AM I Agree (12) - I Disagree (22)

If it's anything like Christo's, it will be a hugh success. Best of luck
from: Love the eggplante	on: 08-14-2011 12:42PM I Agree (14) - I Disagree (11)

I had the cheese pizza,very good. I will go back again and again
from: Dorothy	on: 08-14-2011 04:27PM I Agree (7) - I Disagree (13)

Sounds delicious. Nice family. Please bring more Greek food to Christos.
from: Yum	on: 08-14-2011 10:33PM I Agree (10) - I Disagree (14)

Do you make the pasta ala greque like Michaels pizza did? that was my favorite and I used to get it at least 6X a month!!!
from: Lisa	on: 08-15-2011 04:22PM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (1)

Did anyone notice whether they offer gluten-free options the way Cindy did? If not, it's off limits for me, unfortunately.
from: Alex HW	on: 08-15-2011 07:43PM I Agree (2) - I Disagree (1)

Great food. Great people. Great place to bring kids. They can get a pizza at a decent price and the adults can get greek cuisine.
from: Jonathan	on: 08-16-2011 03:49PM I Agree (10) - I Disagree (13)

Wonderful people, wonderful food!
from: Vin Melito	on: 08-18-2011 11:02AM I Agree (7) - I Disagree (13)

Food was good. Service was slow. We expected that their first week. It was very busy.
from: harold	on: 08-18-2011 10:59PM I Agree (8) - I Disagree (12)

Food was very good, but too slow for an hour lunch and order was incorrect.
from: Luncher	on: 08-19-2011 12:08PM I Agree (15) - I Disagree (6)

Went there for dinner tonight with my family. I thought it was delicious and very reasonable. Hope they have great success. Nice menu!
from: Good luck!	on: 08-20-2011 09:47PM I Agree (5) - I Disagree (13)

I can only eat there if they offer gluten free options as well. I hope they do, I would love to be able to eat pizza out again.
from: Renee	on: 08-22-2011 03:21PM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Mary and Stella and her family have always treated us like their extended family and anyone who has been going to Christo's knows this as well. Her food is delicious and she cares on how it is cooked and served to you. When you leave there you have a feeling of how important family and the food they make means to them. We recommend this restaurant to anyone!!!!! anyone. You will not be dissappointed.
from: The Moon Family	on: 08-23-2011 11:38AM I Agree (7) - I Disagree (19)

Went there tonight and the first thing you could hear was the chaos and yelling from the kitchen. It was clear that the hostess had no idea what she was doing. The waitresses were scattered at various tables with no distinct locations. It appeared that some tables were taken care of right away and others were forgotten about. My food came out before my husbands and we were told that his food would be right out but we waited almost 10 minutes for his food to be ready. The food was delicious but the chaotic kitchen that could be heard in the dining room and the confused scattered waitresses made for a long night of inconsistent patrons and unhappy faces.
from: Unhappy Customer	on: 08-29-2011 11:09PM I Agree (21) - I Disagree (15)

To much chaos, owner doesn't quite know what she is doing. Need a new hostess. Food was good, but don't go with a large group because all the food doesn't come out at the same time. Some of us waited 15mins. Others were done eating.
from: Not Happy	on: 09-05-2011 10:01PM I Agree (18) - I Disagree (15)

Best Pizza I had for years. Nice people. Decent prices. I will go back again and again
from: pizza lover	on: 09-06-2011 05:47PM I Agree (12) - I Disagree (21)

i recently ate at Olympic Pizza, it will be my first and last time doing so. The food was overpriced and not that good. the owner did not know what she was doing and was very disrespectful to her waiting staff. In my opinion they need an overhaul
from: college gal	on: 09-09-2011 12:08PM I Agree (20) - I Disagree (15)

I ate at Olympic Pizza last nignt with my wife and kids. The pizza and the pasta dinners where great so was the service.I think it is going to be a great success. thank you for reopening the place!!!!!!!
from: john	on: 09-17-2011 07:32AM I Agree (5) - I Disagree (13)

My first day was this labor day everyone is talking about.... And it was CHAOS!! I have never had a night like that waitressing, nor have I since working there the past couple weeks. I would appreciate it if people would give Olympic another chance if you were there that night. I have not personally had any upset customers since, nor have I seen any of the other waitstaff have any dissapointed customers. People are friendly, happy, and it is a very nice place to bring children. We serve many families :) I love the food, and my friends that I have brought in to eat there since finding out about the place, all feel the same. Mary is very sweet, and I already feel welcome and part of the family with her. She treats me with the utmost respect, same as she treats every employee there. I encourage anyone to try it again, Labor day was ONE bad night. Olympic has had MANY great nights since :) <3
from: Happy Employee :)	on: 09-21-2011 11:40AM I Agree (5) - I Disagree (11)
Editor: Bad nights happen, that's why you should give restaurants another chance. Same goes for other venues. Don't base your opinion on a one-night stand! LOL
I Agree (2) - I Disagree (11)

Tried them out and was highly disappointed. The pasta dish was plain jane at best. The pizza was not cheap by any means. I saved $1 over my usual place and it had half the quality. not coming back.
from: Not Impressed	on: 09-21-2011 11:40PM I Agree (13) - I Disagree (3)

We used to come to Michael's from Boston a lot. When Cindy sold, we were kind of sad that " our place" was gone. We tried Olympic for the first time 2 weeks ago, and wow! We were welcomed by Mary personally. The food was excellent, and we just left from our second time there. A real gem, and a true family place. Five stars!!!
from: Chris and Julie Johnson	on: 03-25-2012 06:14PM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Williamstown Board Opts to Negotiate with College on Water St. Lot

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:04AM / Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Newly elected board member Nate Budington, far left, participates in his first in-person meeting along with, from left, Matt Neely, Stephanie Boyd, Peter Beck, Shana Dixon and Town Manager Robert Menicocci.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday decided to enter into negotiations with Williams College on the sale of the vacant town-owned lot at 59 Water St.

But the board members made it clear that the college's proposal to acquire the lot is a starting point, not a final deal that the elected officials would accept.

"For the sake of continued conversation, I'm in favor of [awarding Williams the site], but if this process wasn't continued with the opportunity for further negotiation, I wouldn't vote to continue this," Peter Beck said. "I think that next step is necessary for us to get to a yes on this."

"I think there's wide agreement on that," Matthew Neely said just before the 5-0 vote to enter talks with the college.

Williams was the sole respondent to a town-issued request for proposals to develop the former town garage site, currently a dirt lot.

The college's stated intent is to build a new Facilities office and create up to 170 parking spaces at 59 Water Street. That use will allow the college to redevelop the current Facilities building site and parking lot as part of a reconception of the school's indoor athletic and recreation facilities.

Under the terms of the RFP, the college's proposal was subjected to review by an ad hoc advisory committee to the town manager, who brought the question to the Select Board. That board will have the final say on any purchase and sales agreement.

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