By Kieran Leavitt
It’s probably the oldest restaurant in town.
Armview Restaurant owner
George Kapetanakis, beside pictures of former eatery owners
Such restaurants hold their place in history as establishments giving comfort in food and providing familial atmosphere. For around 50 years, the same family — led by brothers George and Charlie Tsuluhas — owned and operated this restaurant by the sea.
In 2006, Kapetanakis took over and gave the space a much needed facelift, while also injecting it with a youthful vibe.
“It needed some new blood but it certainly wasn’t a revamp,” he says.
Entering the restaurant now feels much like it might have in the 1950s when young people would flock there for milkshakes before heading to the nearby theatre. Responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the eatery came down to a local movie set designer who helped bring it into the 21st century.
“Those orange stools… those were found in George and Charlie’s warehouse,” says Kapetanakis, nodding towards the row of retro bar stools lining the counter. “The entire design of the place was around those stools.”
Besides raising the booth, expanding the space a little on one side where an old barbershop used to be, and extending the kitchen into a couple of parking spaces, the restaurant has remained basically the same. There’s even a 40-year-old plant by the front door that has never been moved, except for a couple of days during renovation.
Overlooking the restaurant is a massive mosaic pieced together to spell ‘The Armview’ and is made out of tiny fragments of the same tiles as the floor.
“He used like 6,000 Q-Tips to clean the grout lines,” says Kapetanakis of the person who made it.
“Q-Tips were the only thing he could use and he cleaned every piece of that tile.”
Seventy-five per cent of the menu has remained the same for years, including their top selling club house sandwich, classic breakfast, and the Dingle Tower Burger.
Interior photo of Armview Restaurant
“You’re not going to come in and get two eggs with bacon and your plate is dripping with grease,” he says. “People are certainly trying to take care of themselves.”
That attitude is reflected in the menu where guests have a choice of healthy wraps or quinoa and arugula salad with shrimp.
But his base is a young vibrant crowd that still likes the old classics found on diner menus throughout the world.
When Kapetanakis took over ownership, he helped foster that younger crowd by using his connections with Halifax DJs and musicians. Open-mic nights are held at the Armview every Sunday and they’ve had DJs from New York, Toronto, and Halifax perform there over the years.
He says there is definitely a party side of the Armview, which was also one of the first lounges in the city where people could buy alcoholic beverages without necessarily buying food.
“We certainly tapped into the younger generation,” he says.
They’ve also switched up their beer selection, which used to be an assortment of about 20 brands — all bottled. With the extra kitchen space, Kapetanakis says they’ve almost rid the place of bottles and now have eight craft beer taps featuring many Nova Scotia breweries.
Whether it’s your first time or your 150th time, the restaurant will still be in its charmed spot on the Armdale rotary and have its trusty menu of comfort food.
“Generations of families still come to the Armview” says Kapetanakis.
“People still really dig diner food.”
