Restaurant Rescue

Fire at popular Greek restaurant in Austin forces temporary closure

Yamas suffered an electrical fire, but no one was hurt.

Photo courtesy of Yamas

A popular restaurant in northwest Austin hopes to reopen on Tuesday after a fire forced the owners to cancel Labor Day weekend reservations for nearly 2,000 people and spend the holiday cleaning up.

Electrical lines caught fire at Yamas Greek Kitchen + Bar on Friday, August 30, around 6:30 pm, sending sparks to the roof.

“We were packed,” recalled Hristos Nikolakos, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Roxie Nikolakos. “We had to send everybody home.”

“One of our servers, he was up there within seconds,” recalled Roxie Roxie Nikolakos. “He grabbed the extinguisher and he put it out within seconds, and then my son ran across the street [to the fire station], and then that’s when he brought the fire department over.”

Hristos Nikolakos said while customers were cleared out, firefighters showed up within the minute, cut the roof open and put the fire out.

The couple said they’re grateful no one was hurt and the fire didn’t happen overnight.

“Thank God the damage was minimal, but we had to replace all the wiring,” said Hristos Nikolakos.

Hristos Nikolakos said his staff and longtime friends helped him make repairs during two days over the weekend.

“I bought $25,000 of food this weekend, which, a lot of it we had to throw away because we don’t have power to the fridge,” said Hristos.

Roxie Nikolakos told KVUE she personally called everyone with a reservation to notify them.

Minutes after KVUE’s interview on Monday afternoon, an electrician came by to inform Hristos and Roxie Nikolakos he’s been unable to find the $10 part needed to reconnect power because supply stores are closed on Labor Day.

Despite that disappointment, the couple still has gratitude for what they have gotten: the same community support seen since opening their dream restaurant a year earlier.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

closings small businesses

Taco News

Popular Austin taco truck Con Todo wraps up business after 3 years

contodotacos.com

Con Todo is closed, but Chef Joseph Gomez is looking forward to the future.

A very popular Austin taco trailer at Celis Brewery has suddenly shut its ordering window. Con Todo chef Joseph Gomez made the announcement on his Instagram account, which was previously the business' account.

As Gomez points out in the message, the account predated Con Todo and will survive it, too, under his own name. It's a clear handle for what the chef plans to do: continue his career and the things Con Todo stood for, but not under the Con Todo name or project.

"Sorry for delay on posting but, after much thought, I’ve made the difficult decision to close the doors to Con Todo 😢. This is one of the hardest choices I’ve ever had to make," Gomez wrote. "Con Todo wasn’t just a business — it was my livelihood, my passion, so deeply personal to me. For those of you who know me, you understand how much heart, soul, time, effort I put into it."

Gomez lists several identities and callings he plans to continue expanding: among them, advocacy, cooking, writing, and being "a proud ADHD weirdo."

"My commitment to supporting migrant workers’ rights remains is as strong as ever, and I’ll continue that work through new projects, as I always have," he writes. "You’ve heard me talk about this mission before, and this year is going to be especially important to take a deep dive into it and explore what’s happening on the border towns where I am from. I won’t be quiet about it."

Gomez and Con Todo have garnered acclaim from food industry and media sources including the James Beard Foundation, Texas Monthly, and CultureMap's own Tastemaker Awards; however the chef doesn't seem too concerned with formal praise from the Michelin Guide as he signs off with the snarky Spanish "#michelinmisnalgas." (He had already been using the hashtag for years prior to winning a recommendation from Michelin in November 2024, and the team did attend the ceremony.)

According to Con Todo's website manifesto, cuisine at Con Todo was both deeply personal to Gomez and representative of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), so it seems likely that Austinites will get to enjoy eats in the same style from Gomez going forward.

"In the mean time, keep an eye out for me doing pop ups, events, talks, panels and a little pot stirring," Gomez writes. "Nos vemos pronto!"

closings tacos food trucks