Among the many pizza places and sandwich shops on High Street stands Apollo’s Greek Kitchen, a campus eatery that has continued to serve customers for the past 30 years.

After leaving Greece in 1973, owner Louie Makkas and his wife Eleni came to America and opened Apollo’s at its first location on East Frambes. Apollo’s moved to 11th Avenue in 1975 and then to its final location on High Street in between 12th and 13th avenues.

“We do business a bit differently here than we used to when we were at 11th Avenue,” Louie Makkas said. “There used to be a lot of beggars out on our stepss which sometimes stopped people from coming in. Now we do a lot of daytime as well as nighttime business. We get many students, professors and other OSU personnel who come in. It’s a higher quality crowd. We also voluntarily cut down on liquor sales. Even though we have one of the oldest liquor licenses, I don’t sell it anymore. Just a beer or two with the meal.”

Though the crowd and location have changed, the restaurant and the food have remained the same throughout the years, Eleni Makkas said.

“It’s kind of the in-between of a fast-food and a sit-down restaurant because it’s made quickly, but it’s authentic,” she said. “We have very delicious food; everything is homemade and prepared fresh every day.”

The Greek heritage and traditions are a big part of how Apollo’s is run, Louie Makkas said.

“I had always watched my mother cook at home, and she influenced a lot of what we make here,” he said.

Though America has been home for 30 years, Louie Makkas said Greece remains close to his heart.

“It’s nice to go back to Greece to see family members, friends, old colleagues and classmates,” he said. “I spent 25 years of my life there, so there are a lot of people I like to visit with and check on.”

The Greek heritage and Apollo’s authenticity help promote business, said Brian Gefvert, an undecided sophomore.

“The food is original, and you don’t really see that many Greek places around here,” he said. “Plus, they deliver and that’s a big factor on campus. I come to Apollo’s about once a week. It’s quality food that’s fairly inexpensive.”

Along with low prices, the welcoming management is another element of attracting customers, Gefvert said.

“They don’t seem to get too many people who aren’t here on a regular basis,” he said. “It’s the kind of restaurant where they have their usual crowd always coming in. It’s not a surprise to me that they’ve been around for so long because they run the place very well. I always see the owner in here. He makes small talk with customers and seems really friendly.”

Being enthusiastic and making friends with customers is a lot of what the business is about, Louie Makkas said.

“I’m here at about 11 a.m. every day,” he said. “I interact with the customers throughout the day. I talk to them, give them advice about school, life, social issues, anything if they ask.”

Personal relationships with the customers aren’t the only reason Apollo’s has been successful.

“I think we’re unique in the fact that not everybody can eat pizza or a hamburger everyday,” Louie Makkas said. “You have to try something new.”

Other than just trying the food, it makes the owners happy when people come back because they enjoy Apollo’s, Eleni Makkas said.

“The most rewarding thing for us is when people are happy and satisfied and they tell us, ‘This is the best’ or ‘I like this.’ We try our hardest to take care of our customers because we really appreciate when they come in,” she said.

Louie Makkas said he has no plans of leaving anytime soon.

“I enjoy being with young people all the time. I refuse to be one of those old people who retire to Florida,” he said. “I’ll be doing this until the day I die.”