Antonis Volikas – When a restaurant in Agios Kirikos means the world to you

It is a chilly Friday morning in early March. Antonis is writing the daily menu carefully in colourful letters on the blackboard. After a while you can read: “Today at ‘Volikas’: “Soufiko, Chicken,  Fish, Pasta with mushrooms.” After finishing his artwork, Antonis is stepping back a bit. A smile, coupled with a little pride, flits across his face. Yep, this is the new chapter – a new chapter for the kafenion … a new chapter he has been working on for so long. He had been dreaming of having a real restaurant – and  now it will happen. Just a couple of days ago Antonis has re-opened the doors of the former kafenion, presenting a new concept to the Ikarians: a new cook, new dishes, broader variety – no more bistro-style and kafenion. Antonis loves this place; he made it his home and he will stay. He made this promise 13 years ago and he is committed to keep it.

2012 was an important year for Antonis. As usual, he was spending his summer holidays on the island … but this time it was different. He fell in love with an Ikarian girl and he decided to stay, not going back to Crete, where he had been working at that time. And: Antonis learned that a kafenion in the platia was for rent. He liked the idea of having his own kafenion and shortly after he signed the contract. Even still in his 20-ies, Antonis felt ready to settle and to put an end to a life in different places, focusing just on “work”.

Antonis was born and raised in Athens – amid of a large family: he has a twin sister and two other elderly sisters. His father is from Chios, and his mother from Magganitis, Ikaria. But when his father became a pensioner, the family decided to move to Ikaria. At that time, Antonis was twelve years old, and the changes had been tremendous: from big city life to a small town. But he was lucky. Antonis discovered basketball and found new friends at the Pramnos sports club. He is still grateful that the club organised so many activities, he could be involved in. He remained loyal to the club for many years, enjoying the community and the games.

After school, Antonis left Ikaria and started studying “tourism” at the university of Crete. Coming from an island, where tourism is the main source of income, he wanted to learn everything about it. But university campus was not his world. Antonis is more “hands on”, so he left university without a degree and just started working in tourism. He took over all kind of jobs in different hotels. This was his training field, which offered him the chance to get to know to the different characteristics of tourists and to learn English.
So, when making the decision to come back to Ikaria and to take over the kafenion in Agios Kirikos, Antonis brought with him a sound experience he could build on.

But running his own place was nevertheless a different story and Antonis had to learn a lot. He accepted the challenge, because he loves talking to the people. He does not consider them as “customers”, more than friends. He feels honoured, when they are coming to his place to have their coffee or to take their friends out. Over the years – little by little – Adonis was changing the place. He added different meals to the menu. As he loves travelling to different countries – not only to see other places, but to taste different recipes – his kitchen became inspired by new flavours. And Antonis hired different cooks, who also contributed new recipes … and people liked it. Of course, the changes were not radical, more in the Icarian slow rhythm, but they happened and were accepted.

Antonis knows that this success is not only based on his personal work, but also on his good team. For example: on Maria. She is working at his side from the very first day and has become the soul of the place. Or Anna: being committed to efficiency and organisation, she is a calming influence when summer tourism business is particularly hectic.

Over the last years Antonis had to realize that the tourism season on Ikaria has become more and more difficult … and shorter. Here in Agios Kirikos, in the Southern side of Ikaria, the season is reduced to around 3 weeks in August – which is a different story than what is happening on the Northern side of the island. And this puts a lot of stress on the Ikarians. For those working in the tourism industry, these weeks are extremely stressful as most of the money, that is necessary to make a living on Ikaria  around the year, has to be earned in this short period of time. To that background it would be helpful, if the tourism season could be prolonged in order to keep tourists and Ikarians longer on the island.
Antonis like other younger businesspeople on Ikaria, has ideas for a different tourism concept that may prolong the season, but changes are taking their time on the island.

In the meantime, Antonis is developing his own business. For him, it’s a good day when his guests are satisfied. When there’s a good atmosphere and people are chatting. Adonis does not like the new developments: everyone is staring at their mobile phones or is taking selfies with a view of the sea all the time. He loves to look at the real sea – its changing colours in the different seasons – and he prefers to talk to people in person about the news on the island. That’s better than any social media post. That’s why he doesn’t spend so much time on the various channels – with one exception: he will upload the daily menu he has just written on the blackboard on Facebook and Instagram so that people know, what is offering to them today  … and then: he will disappear into the kitchen to see what’s going on.

Antonis is sure it’s going to be a good day.

(Text and pictures: @Birgit_Urban)