Popular Charlotte Restaurant comes to Winston-Salem


Written by: Michael Hastings, Winston-Salem Journal

Forty years after opening its doors in Charlotte, the Showmars restaurant chain has come to Winston-Salem.

Showmars opened its first and only Triad restaurant Jan. 19 at 27 Harvey St. in the Hanestowne Village shopping center off Stratford Road.

Showmars, in the former spot occupied by Tijuana Flats, is open for lunch and dinner six days a week and for lunch on Sundays.

Showmars is practically an institution in Charlotte, where Greek-American George Couchell opened the first Showmars in 1982, offering a mix of Southern, American and Greek fare. Inspired in part by the popular fish camps in the area as well as the Greek foods of his native country and Southern cooking of his adopted home, Couchell was in some ways a pioneer of the fast-casual restaurant concept that is now so popular.

The restaurant offers counter ordering with table delivery, and the menu has a little bit of everything at modest prices. It’s a model that has served the company well as it has added more and more locations in Charlotte and the surrounding communities, each with its own on-site operating partners.

But in the last couple of years, the chain has grown even more, now spreading itself farther afield to the Raleigh and Durham areas and even Columbia, S.C.

The restaurant can seat up to about 80 inside and also has a patio. And it is one of a handful of Showmars that sell alcohol. The menu has beer and wine, including local craft beer on tap.

Showmars 4 Show Winston Salem Team

Walt Unks/Winston-Salem Journal

Ari Ziogas, one of four operating partners of the Winston-Salem location, said that different Showmars restaurants have slight menu variations, and that the Winston-Salem location has a slightly trimmed menu. But Winston-Salem also has something new to Showmars: chicken tenders. “This is new for us, and everything here is breaded to order,” Ziogas said.

Showmars is probably best known for its fish sandwich ($6.49), made with deep-fried flounder. The fish also is available as an entrée with hush puppies and two sides — $10.99 for a two-piece platter, $12.99 for three-piece and $13.99 for a shrimp and flounder combination plate.

Other entrees include a four-piece plate of chicken tenders ($9.99), Calabash shrimp ($11.99), chicken Santorini (marinated, with peppers, onions, rice and tzatziki, $11.99), gyro ($11.99) and chicken souvlaki ($11.99).

Other sandwiches include the Super C (double cheeseburger, $6.49) and Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich ($5.29).

Pitas ($6.99) include the classic chicken, Santorini, gyro and Greek veggie.

Pita burgers ($6.49 to $6.99) include the original (cheeseburger with tzatziki), All-American, old-fashioned chili, mushroom and cheddar, and bacon and cheddar.

The four salads ($8.99 to $10.29) are Greek, grilled chicken chef, crispy chicken BLT and Mediterranean hummus. There’s also chili and a soup of the day.

Sides include fruit, rice pilaf, hummus and pita, mac ’n’ cheese and tater tots.

There are mini meals under $6 each for kids or anyone with a lighter appetite. There also are family meals — for takeout only — to serve four or five for $39.99.

Desserts include baklava, baklava cheesecake, brownies and cookies.

Showmars now boasts 32 locations. The Winston-Salem location has four operating partners, all of whom operate other Showmars locations, too: Valdemar Flores, Greg Photopoulos and John Vastis, in addition to Ari Ziogas.

Ziogas said a broker approached them about this location. Having parents, a sister and brother-in-law living in the area, Ziogas knew it would be a good spot. “What better location — right on Stratford,” Ziogas said.

Ziogas said that Showmars’ fast-casual, takeout-friendly model has served the company well during the coronavirus pandemic. “We were already tending toward takeout before the pandemic. Now, we’re looking to install more drive-thrus and perfect curbside service,” he said.

The Winston-Salem location does not have a drive-thru, but it does offer online ordering, curbside pickup and delivery.