The Georgoudis family, which owns Vito’s restaurants, is mourning the loss of its oldest patriarch.
Constantine “Costa” Georgoudis passed away on Sunday at the age of 90, according to his obituary.
“Costa was a man known for hunting, fishing, business, his generosity and most importantly family,” the family said in a statement on Facebook.
Costa Georgoudis and his three brothers — Peter, Nick, and the late Demetri — emigrated to Montreal from Greece in the 1950s and 60s.
The elder Georgoudis later relocated to Moncton and opened the first Vito’s restaurant in 1969.
Not long after, the other brothers moved to New Brunswick from Montreal and all four opened the first Saint John Vito’s location in 1972.
Today, the Moncton location is operated separately from the Saint John locations but is still part of the brand.
“Costa was fiercely loyal, kind, humble, and a shining example of a great family man,” said his obituary.
“He valued all his customers and did everything he could to give back to the community that gave him so much.”
Paula Radwan, a city councillor in Saint John, was one of hundreds of people to send their condolences to the Georgoudis family.
“It is incredible how much your whole family has enriched our community,” Radwan wrote in a Facebook post.
A funeral service for Georgoudis will take place in Saint John on Thursday morning.
It's with heavy hearts that the oldest of the Georgoudis Patriarchs, Costa has passed. The first of the Georgoudis…
Posted by Vito's on Tuesday, May 17, 2022