Restaurant Hellenic gets fresh start after closing in The Walk. ‘Home for us’
After shutting down Hellenic Republic and touring a dozen new locations for the restaurant, Chef Nikol Zarbalas said when she walked into a building on Atlantic Boulevard, her 15-year-old son turned to her and said, “Mom, this is it.”
Less than a year later, Hellenic is inviting patrons for dining and takeout in its soft-opening phase in Coral Springs, with the full opening expected in the coming weeks.
Zarbalas is no stranger to the restaurant business. She grew up in the industry but got good at flipping restaurants — opening a spot, getting it off the ground and selling it.
She opened Hellenic Republic in The Walk in 2019. When Guy Fieri asked her why she wasn’t flipping the eatery when it was featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in 2023, she said this spot was different.
“My response was, this is family,” Zarbalas told the Coral Springs News. “I opened Hellenic for my kids to grow up in the business, much like I grew up in the business, and teach them hospitality, teach them basic restaurant skills. ... So that was the point of opening Hellenic and why I never sold it. This is home for us.”
After Hellenic Republic closed its doors in January 2025 at the end of its lease, Zarbalas, a single mom of five, embarked on a journey, challenging at times, to open a new location.
She happened to be driving by the spot that now houses the restaurant late one night when she saw the sign and called the number. Within a couple weeks, they negotiated a lease.
“They really wanted us here and for us, you know, being part of the community, community-oriented, it felt like we were in the right space,” she said.
Now, the restaurant at 10436 W. Atlantic Blvd. has 10 times the indoor capacity of the former spot. Zarbalas said she felt like she’s been “running non-stop” and doing it on her own, in a different life circumstance than when she opened Hellenic Republic.
So far, it’s been well-received. Hellenic was recently featured in a viral social media video from @thebrowardscene that reeled in over 200,000 views on Instagram, and it’s gotten positive reviews in the foodie Facebook group Let’s Eat, South Florida.
“It’s amazing to see the community response, not just to the restaurant itself, but to me, personally,” Zarbalas said. “I’ve built a brand, and the brand isn’t just food, it’s community, it’s love, it’s that feeling where you come into somebody’s space and it feels familiar to you.”
She used the Greek word philoxenia, which means to befriend a stranger, to describe the ethos of the restaurant.
The restaurant serves up Greek classics, including salads, pitas, shrimp, roasted chicken and others, in addition to featuring a full bar. The chef highlighted a sesame-toasted pork belly dish that she had inspiration to create when she was in Crete over the summer.
During the soft opening, Hellenic is open from noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, then is open for brunch on Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.
“This is our focus. This is what we’re doing,” Zarbalas said. “I’m not looking at selling this. I’m not looking at opening up another location or anything else. This is home now, and this is where we plan to stay.”
This story was originally published January 8, 2026 at 3:28 PM.