Longtime restaurateurs, the Arvanitis brothers – Chris (from left), Stavros, John and Dave – in 2009 (celebrating the 25-year anniversary of the opening of Saskatoon Station Place)

Dave Arvanitis has two children, three if you count his restaurant.  There’s no question the restaurateur loves his two daughters, but the popular Saskatoon dining spot he owns with his three brothers is also a big part of the family.

It’s been that way since the Saskatoon Station Place opened its doors in 1984, a quarter-century ago this fall.

That’s not surprising considering the quiet elegance and style that permeates the popular restaurant.  High-vaulted ceilings, skylights, a grand staircase with antique oak bannisters and posts imported from New York add to the scene. Then there’s the exotic lounge that’s as impressive as you’ll find anywhere in Canada.

However, what gives the restaurant a unique appeal is its two railroad dining cars that blend into the north and east walls of the building.  Cosy and intimate, the former railcars have played host to a parade of anniversaries, romantic soirees, and marriage proposals. It’s this love-story backdrop that adds fuel to the fires of culinary passion, says Arvanitis, as he helps staff prepare tables for the lunch rush.

“It seems I spend every waking hour here, sometimes 12- to 14-hour days, but I find the job invigorating. I can sit anywhere in this place, in the railcars, upstairs, in the lounge. From every vantage point, I say to myself: ‘This is all so beautiful.’ “

Arvanitis is the second-oldest brother of four siblings who made their way from Greece to a new life in Saskatoon during the late 1950s.

“John came here first, then I followed in 1959 and my two younger brothers, Stavros and Chris, came a little later,” Arvanitis says. Their story is one that many immigrants can relate to. They were leaving a beautiful, warm country to start a new life on the Prairies, but in the small town they came from, a 2-hour drive east of Athens, there was little in the way of employment.

They’d also lived through the occupation of the Second World War and the devastating civil war that followed. Bad times, sighs Arvanitis.

That’s probably why the dishwashing and floor scrubbing job he took when he arrived here didn’t seem too bad, although the weather didn’t play any favours for the new Canadian.  “I arrived here in December, spending Christmas in Greece and New Year’s in Saskatoon,” he shudders.

The brothers’ dishwashing careers changed to restaurant ownership when they purchased the Shasta, a cafe in the 200 block of Second Avenue South. But the brothers had bigger dreams, when they opened the A-Four Nightclub in 1972 and brought big-time live music to Saskatoon’s downtown. “We brought some pretty big names to our stage, including Bryan Adams. I mean, there was some rocking good times at the place.” Arvanitis laughs.

When they sold the A-Four, the brothers took the biggest leap of their lives in the early 1980s, spending almost $3 million to develop their brand-new baby, Saskatoon Station Place. 

Not only was the project ambitious from a fiscal perspective, but getting two massive railcars from Winnipeg and including them in the new structure was also an architectural challenge of major proportions. “We brought the cars up on the rail tracks from Winnipeg and parked them at the city yards. Then we brought them over here on flatbeds and hoisted them in place with a big crane.” Arvanitis says.

Other major and costly expansions have taken place over the years as the brothers worked to maintain the support of regular customers and attract new diners.  A lounge was added, which also doubles as the location for the Station’s impressive Sunday brunch. They also introduced their own bakery on the premises, ensuring their customers receive fresh bread daily alongside the meals chosen from the extensive menu.

While he’s a champion of the restaurant’s uniqueness, Arvanitis is especially proud of his staff, some of whom have worked there since the place opened. “They have become like family, too. We can only be as good as the service we deliver,” he says.

So, as the band of brothers look to the next 25 years of operation, they plan on changing with the times, but continuing with the proven track record of customer service. Dave says he and his brothers are used to putting in long stretches every day. It’s in their blood, he says.

“Many of our customers have become firm friends over the years. So, spending so much time isn’t so bad. It’s like being home, I guess.

Source: Peter Wilson, “Dining the rails”, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, October 13, 2009, p. 3.

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