It was in his beautiful island of Antiparos that Tom Hanks had the idea to create a chain of Greek restaurants in the United States. The restaurant industry has been hit hard during the pandemic and many service workers are unemployed. So the actor thought to take advantage of his fame to create a new healthy fast food chain, named Souvlaki Hanx.
Souvlaki Hanx: the beginning
This foray into Greek cuisine is actually not that surprising to the actor. Hanks has forged close ties with Greece and Greek culture for years.
After years of marriage to Greek-American Rita Wilson, Hanks now has Greek citizenship and retains residence in Greece. He is an active member of the Greek community and the Church of Los Angeles.
“Hanx”, for those who don’t know, is Tom’s signature on his Instagram captions and many of his Tweets. This symbol of his online personality is the perfect name for his restaurant chain that will pay workers at least $ 17 an hour.
The first location will open in The Grove Mall in Los Angeles, with immediate plans to open more stores across the United States.
However, the movie star plans to expand the chain’s offering beyond the restaurants themselves. Plans for food items such as ready-to-sell Greek dips in supermarkets are already underway.
In a fun tribute to his wife for decades, Hanks’ marketing team will sell the dips under the brand name “Rita Pita”. The dips will be sold with Rita Wilson’s pita bread.
The Gyros at Tom Hanks Restaurant
Some of the chain’s iconic dishes will also include references to Hanks’ long and famous acting career on screen. These dishes will include: Private Ryan’s Gyro, Cast Away Fries with Feta and Oregano and The Terminal – a gyro plate to share with a variety of Greek meats and sauces.
With the chain aiming to offer healthy alternatives as well, Tom Hanks’ restaurant will also offer vegan options. These include a vegan plate called Forrest Gyro, as well as The Green Kalamaki, made with ‘Impossible gyro’ meat.
The chain’s gyro offerings will be available in standard or “Big” sizes. The latter is a tribute to the 1988 success with Hanks himself.
As the new restaurants aim to promote a family atmosphere, options for children will also be available. Pita Story, as well as Pita Story 2 and 3, a reference to Hanks’ work in the “Toy Story” series, will offer smaller, simpler gyros for children.
So far, there has not been a Greek national food chain in the US market, but many Americans love Greek cuisine. In addition, the Mediterranean diet has become more and more popular over the years.
The actor hopes this chain will be exactly what it takes to kick off a second Greek food revolution in the United States. He wants to make classic Greek street food accessible to all.
Be on the lookout for an upcoming announcement on Tom Hanks Twitter Account on future store locations, which are still kept under wraps.
