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Michalis Borodimos The man behind "OPA GREEK RESTAURANTS!" — and his thank you to a city that became his family.

Michalis Borodimos, owner of the OPA GREEK RESTAURANTS in Chattanooga, speaks to BLOQ about his journey from Ancient Olympia to the United States, the philosophy behind his culinary experience, and his plans for the future.

From Ancient Olympia and Patras to the narrow streets of Manhattan.
From the aromas of his grandmother’s kitchen to the tables of OPA.
From his father, Vangelis, who taught him savoir vivre, to his customers in Chattanooga who showed him what it means to belong.

Michalis Borodimos didn’t just open a Greek restaurant in America.
He opened a warm, human embrace — filled with Greece, hospitality, and heart.
And that embrace found its perfect place to take root: Chattanooga.

“You don’t just walk into a business here,” he says.
“You walk into my home.”

To Michalis, this city isn’t just the Scenic City.
It’s a community that stood by him in his early steps, supported him through the hard times, and gave him the strength to keep going — always with an “OPA!” on his lips and authenticity in his soul.

Today, through BLOQ, he shares not only his journey as an entrepreneur, but also his thoughts, his fears, the moments that moved him, and the ones that shaped him.
He speaks about his love for Chattanooga. About what bothers him. About what inspires him.
And about why, in the end, OPA is far more than just a restaurant.

MICHALIS, OPA, AND CHATTANOOGA

1. Why Chattanooga? What made you choose this city to start OPA?
“Chattanooga wasn’t a decision made on paper. It was something I felt. It has a rhythm that calms me, and at the same time, an energy that inspires me. The people here have a kindness that isn’t superficial — it’s real. When I arrived, I didn’t feel like a stranger. I felt like I had come home.”

2. What does this choice mean to you today?
“It means everything. This is where I first felt I could build something real. Not just a business, but a relationship. With the place, with the people. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

3. How did the community embrace you in the early years?
“With warmth. They came out of curiosity, they stayed out of love. They asked me about Greece, I explained the food to them, and little by little, a trust was built that’s lasted for years. And no — I don’t see them as customers. I see them as friends. Some even became family.”

4. What sets OPA apart from other businesses of its kind?
“OPA isn’t a business plan. It’s heart. We don’t have ‘customers’ — we have guests in our home. Everything we serve has a story behind it: from my grandmother Nikolia, my mother Asimina, my father Vangelis. Authenticity is not a choice. It’s a responsibility.”

5. What are you trying to share through each dish, each experience at OPA?
“Real Greece. Not the touristy version. Not the fake one. I want them to feel the scent of the village, the care of a grandmother, the conversation around the table. That’s what OPA is: a moment of truth in the middle of everyday life.”

6. What’s your relationship like with your guests?
“It’s personal. We share the same worries, the same dreams. It doesn’t matter if they’re from downtown or from out of state — they came to OPA because of its reputation, and they stayed because it felt personal to them. I know most of them by their first names. I greet them by name, I ask about their kids, about their lives.
Even if I haven’t seen them in a while, I quietly follow them on social media — and I think, ‘I hope they’re doing well.’ Because in the end, this isn’t a job. It’s a way of life.”

7. How do you feel when someone cancels a reservation last minute — especially for a large group?
“It saddens me. Not because ‘we lost a customer,’ but because I know the effort that went into it. How many people worked to prepare that table.
OPA operates strictly by reservation — and with a limited capacity of 40 people. And yet, we don’t ask for a deposit. Trust starts with us. We hold the table, we prepare, we wait… as if a friend were coming to our home.
I don’t get angry — I get disappointed. Especially when it happens out of carelessness, without reason. Because every empty seat is a story that didn’t get written.
But when there’s a real issue, I get anxious, I feel sympathy. I always hold on to respect. Because without it, we lose the essence — and at OPA, we don’t compromise on that.”

PERSONAL ROOTS & INSPIRATION

“My father taught me what hospitality means. My mother, what tradition truly is.”

8. How important was your father’s role in your journey?
“My father, Vangelis, was where it all began. He taught me that hospitality isn’t a job — it’s a way of life. He worked in hotels and restaurants, from Athens to Rome, Switzerland to Austria. He spoke five languages. But the most important language he spoke… was the language of respect and kindness.
He was the first to tell me: ‘Always remember — you’re not serving food. You’re serving a feeling.’”

9. Who else instilled in you the love for taste and culture?
“My grandmother, Nikolia, and my mother, Asimina. From them, I learned flavors, aromas, slow cooking, and the reason behind every recipe. They didn’t cook with instructions — they cooked with feeling. And I carry that with me still.”

10. Greece or America? If you had to choose…
“Greece is my soil. America is my dream. If I had to choose… I wouldn’t. Because both made me who I am. And at OPA, they come together — at the same table.”

11. What inspires you today to keep creating? What is your deeper motivation?
“I’m inspired by the people who keep coming back. I’m inspired by seeing a child taste feta for the first time and smile.
My motivation is to give. To keep alive that something you can’t write on a menu. To make someone leave just a little better than they arrived.”

INSPIRATION, CREATIVITY & THE “WHY”

12. So what is OPA, really, to you?
“OPA isn’t a word. It’s a flame. It’s spontaneity, it’s energy, it’s the voice of the Greek soul. It’s the live in the moment like no one’s ever said it before.
OPA isn’t a shout. It’s a stance. It’s the joyful I’m here. It’s the I see you — without needing to say it.
At OPA, you don’t just eat. You engage. You shout. You share.
OPA is that moment that becomes a memory.”

13. What’s the deeper meaning behind the napkin, the dancing, and the experience at OPA?
“It’s my passion. The need to create moments that matter.
Breaking plates — which we no longer practice at OPA — was never just a spectacle. It was a way to say: ‘I reject sadness, I cast away what weighs me down, I start fresh.’
Today, the napkin carries that meaning. When you toss it in the air, it’s like throwing yourself into freedom. It’s your moment. Your glance lifting upward, recognizing the air around you.
And when it lands on you, it caresses — like something whispering, ‘You’re okay. You’re here. Keep going.’
That continuity of OPA — from plates to napkins, from yesterday to today — keeps me alive. It makes me want to go on. To bring comfort. To offer memory. And hope.
Inside the space, we keep unity alive. Because at OPA, no one dances alone. Everyone dances together. And here, anything can happen: from a simple meeting between two people, to an event, a bachelorette, a wedding… and why not, a new beginning.”

BUSINESS PLANS

“Every new day is a blank page for something new.”

14. What are your future plans? Should we expect something new?
“Yes. I’m thinking of expanding with new ideas — but always in line with the vision of OPA. I don’t want to open ‘more restaurants.’ I want to build experiences — cultural, gastronomic, human. Small, vibrant extensions of our philosophy.”
Soon, in collaboration with BRAND, we’re preparing the launch of a line of selected Greek products — authentic flavors that will bring the heart of the Mediterranean to America.
At the same time, we’re working on a new chain: bakeries, ice cream, and fast food, always with a Greek character. We want something that fuses tradition with modern experience.
I’m not interested in simply expanding. I care about building something with identity. Something that makes people say:
“This is Greek. And it’s good.”

THE MAN BEHIND MICHALIS

“I am what you see. And sometimes, that’s not easy — not for me, not for others…”

15. What do you fear today — as a person or as a professional?
“I fear losing touch with what made me start in the first place. Not just the cooking or the hospitality — but my truth.
I fear settling. Becoming mechanical in something that was born with soul.
And on a more personal level… I fear not getting to do all the things I still want to do. There’s always a voice in the back of my head saying that time is running. And sometimes, the silence at night — when everything calms down — that’s what scares me most.”

16. Is there something that bothers you in others — or something you know might bother them about you?
“Indifference bothers me. The ‘whatever’ attitude. When someone doesn’t respect time, effort, kindness. Those things are sacred to me.
I know some people might see me as intense. Maybe because I’m strict with myself — and that sometimes shows outwardly. I don’t like sloppiness. I don’t like words without action. I want consistency. I want substance.
But those who know me well, know that behind my spontaneity, there’s love. I don’t like yelling. I don’t like tension. I speak softly.
But… when I see injustice, I might just let a little Greek slip out! (laughs)”

17. How do you find balance between your work and your personal life? Or maybe it’s all one and the same?
“It’s hard to separate the two. OPA is my life.
But the real balance comes elsewhere — in a glance from my dog, Marlo, that grounds me. In cooking something simple just for myself, with no audience. In listening to music and remembering who I am.
As much as I can, I try to stay human. Because without that… even the best dish loses its taste.”

“I haven’t done everything perfectly. I’ve made mistakes, like we all have. But through the relationships in my life, I’ve learned what matters, what lasts, what stays.
I have three children — they’re my greatest pride. And their mother played a big role in that, and for that, she has my respect.
Recently, my son made me a grandfather… and yes, that hug is different. Quieter. Fuller. And it’s special that the baby is going to carry my name.

Today, life has brought him next to a wonderful woman — Monira-Jolie — strong, radiant, and full of light.
Together, they share love, respect, humor, and deep understanding.

OPA MOMENTS

“Once, a customer said to me: ‘Can I hug you? I felt like I just came home to my country.’
And I hugged him. Not as a restaurant owner.
As a Greek.
As a human being.”

18. Do you remember a funny or unexpected moment that stayed with you?
“So many! But there’s one I’ll never forget:
Once, a group of Americans came to OPA and asked to break plates. Not as a joke — they meant it! They had even brought their own plates from home! (laughs)
I told them: ‘Guys, we don’t break plates here. We break egos and sadness — with wine and food.’
And that’s how we celebrated.

Another time, a couple told me they had met at OPA… and later came back to get engaged here.
Those are moments you never forget. They become part of you.”

19. Was there ever a moment you thought: “Yes — this is why I do what I do”?
“Yes. Many times.
But especially when someone walks in exhausted, tense — and leaves smiling.
Or when a father brings his child for the first time and says, ‘This is Michalis. We used to eat here with your mom.’
That’s when you say: Okay… I must be doing something right.”

A MESSAGE TO CHATTANOOGA

“OPA exists because you exist.”

20. If you had the chance to send a message to the people of Chattanooga, what would you say?
“Thank you.
Not just with words — with all my heart.
You gave me space, a voice, a reason to stay, to create, to grow.
OPA is something we built together.
You are my family, even if we don’t all know each other.
And I hope we keep shouting ‘OPA!’ loud — not just for the flavor, but for the joy, the unity, the moment.”

THANKS FROM THE HEART

“In every journey, there are people without whom… nothing would have been written this way.”

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Williams family, who have rented me the building all these years.
To the unforgettable R.L., who wasn’t just the landlord — he was a wise man who always respected me and thanked me for how I cared for the place.
And of course, to his wife, the beloved Elliott, who, when I lost my mother, said something I’ll never forget:
‘Don’t worry. You have us. For anything you need.’
They made me feel like a part of their family.
Especially after losing my own, that kind of support… it was light.”

“And a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to Nikos — a fellow Greek, a true brother, who believed in me.
He supported me more than even a father would have.
He helped me bring to life what, for many, is just a phrase:
‘the American dream.’
Without him, much of this wouldn’t have happened.
And I owe it to him.”

Michalis Borodimos is the soul of OPA.

Michalis Borodimos is the soul of OPA. He is the reason it can’t be copied. Because he doesn’t just run a restaurant — he dances with the people, sings with them, laughs, cries, and celebrates right beside them. He personally oversees every dish, every flavor, every moment a guest experiences at OPA.

And before we close, there’s one question we just have to ask:

— Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like Bill Murray?

(laughs)
“Yes… many times, actually! And you know what? I like it! He’s one of my favorite actors. He carries both humor and depth — the same mix I try to bring into OPA.”

He then tells us a story that makes us smile:
“One time, a woman got so convinced I was actually Bill Murray, she left her group at a café and came over.
She asked me directly — and I told her, ‘No, I’m not him.’
But she said I reminded her of him so much that she had to take a photo with me.
And I couldn’t say no. It was too sweet.”

For the Greek version of the interview, click here

https://www.opagreekrestaurants.com/

Michalis Borodimos The man behind "OPA GREEK RESTAURANTS!" — and his thank you to a city that became his family.

MICHALIS, OPA, AND CHATTANOOGA

PERSONAL ROOTS & INSPIRATION

INSPIRATION, CREATIVITY & THE “WHY”

BUSINESS PLANS

THE MAN BEHIND MICHALIS

OPA MOMENTS

A MESSAGE TO CHATTANOOGA

THANKS FROM THE HEART

Michalis Borodimos is the soul of OPA.

MOTHER DAY at Opa

some letters for OPA

OPA spot / together

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