Our History

For 77 years, C & K Importing Company served the Greek community on the same corner at 2771 West Pico Boulevard. Sam Chrys opened the market in 1948 with intentions to bring the foods and wines of Greece to Los Angeles. He did so by importing all products from Greece while still maintaining a low price to his valued customers and friends. C & K Importing Company grew into a market where all ethnicities came to visit and always enjoyed the purity of the product assortment.  

In 1968 Chrys Chrys (aka Papa Cristo) purchased the business from his father to carry on the legacy. Chrys Chrys had an idea to open a Greek restaurant. He traveled to the many regions and islands of Greece to understand the flavors and tastes in authentic Greek cooking. He wanted to bring this authenticity back to his restaurant. In the early 1990’s, Papa Cristo’s Taverna was established. Only meats, seasonings, cheeses, olive oils, and other culturally true ingredients that are also found at C & K Importing were used to prepare the dishes offered at Papa Cristo’s Taverna.

C & K Importing Company and Papa Cristo’s Taverna were known as Athens in Los Angeles. The reputation of C & K Importing Company and Papa Cristo’s Taverna grew past California and to as far as Greece itself. Chrys Chrys took pride in providing his customers and friends with the best tasting foods, best service, and best prices – just like his father. With such a high demand for Papa Cristo’s cooking outside of the restaurant, Papa Cristo’s Catering was born in 1990.

Papa Cristo’s catered to the Greater Los Angeles Area and as far south as Orange County, serving up family-style menus full of Greek traditional favorites. Anyone who tasted the home-style cooking at Papa Cristo’s Greek Grill wanted to take some of that unique and delicious flavor home. Papa Cristo’s used a family secret blend of spices in all of their cooking at the restaurant and for their catering but, when their patrons continuously asked them what seasonings were being used to cook with, they decided to make it available for everyone.

You can now find it right here at our online store.  You can use it on everything! Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Turkey, Veggies, Pasta Sauces, Salad Dressings, Marinades and More! Try some and you will be hooked.

Today, Chrys is proudly guiding the next chapter of Papa Cristo’s, as his daughters, Dena and Annie, work side by side to carry the family legacy into a new generation. We are truly a family-run business and take great pride in providing our patrons with the highest quality and best tasting Greek home-style cuisine.