Mel Giokas created That Greek Guy Bakery & Pastry Shop with one goal in mind: to bring the authentic, artisan flavors of his homeland to Western New York.
“My inspiration was to share a wow-factor,” Mel says. “A feeling that when you bite into something, it just makes you stop and smile.” He started the bakery in 2022, originally baking in his church basement kitchen for outreach-related activities. The church’s pastor encouraged him to start doing local farmers markets.
Mel Giokas and his son, Alexander.
Mel comes from a long line of bakers. His grandfather started the family’s bakery in Erythrai, a village outside of Athens, Greece. It’s now in its third generation.
For Mel’s operation here in Buffalo, finding a flour that meets the standards of the one his family uses in Greece proved a challenge. Originally, he brought flour back with him from visits abroad, but he’s since found one he’s proud to say is comparable.
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His son, Alexander, joined him soon after That Greek Guy launched, and they decided to establish their bakery at the Broadway Market. They started with making what Giokas describes as their village-style, hand-rolled spanakopita, a traditional Greek savory pastry filled with spinach, feta cheese and herbs. They expanded with bougatsa, a vanilla custard pastry made with phyllo dough, and saragli (“cigar roll” in Greek), a rolled version of rich, syrupy baklava.
“What makes Greek baking so special is that it takes the simplest ingredients—flour, olive oil, honey, nuts—and transforms them into something extraordinary,” Mel says. “From the flaky layers of spanakopita to the baklava rolls, the bougatsa, every bite is crafted with intention, heritage and care.”
His wife requested pita bread for a family gathering in 2024, and they started making it for the bakery soon after. It quickly became one of their number one products and is sold at both the Elmwood and Hertel locations of the Lexington Co-op, Farmers & Artisans in Snyder, Pelicano’s Marketplace in North Tonawanda and the East Aurora Co-op. They are hoping to expand into more local grocery stores in coming months.
Proudly rooted in tradition, the Giokases hand-make every bakery item. They bake Tuesday through Friday at their Broadway Market location, which also serves as their retail storefront, and they are at the Williamsville and East Aurora farmers markets when they are in season.
They also make their own olive oil from their generation orchard in Greece, which they cultivate and import to Buffalo. It is available at the Broadway Market.
But even more than the food, Mel wants to share the spirit of community that fuels Greek baking.
“In Greece, you don’t just eat bakery goods—you share them. They’re part of community, of hospitality, of filoxenia (friendship to all),” he says. “That’s what inspired me to open our bakery: to bring that same wow-factor to our community here, so no one has to travel across the ocean to experience it.”
