SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Olympia Cafe is one of the many restaurants that welcome tourists and locals to iconic River Street, but one familiar face is missing.

The co-owner, Nick Pappas, unexpectedly passed away last month at 80 years old. sat down with Vasilis Varlagas, co-owner, and Frances Krieg, manager, weeks after to check in on how they were. They told , it’s hard to believe he’s really gone.

“Mr. Pappas was working until the day before died. I have a lot of respect for this,” Varlagas said.

It was Nick’s character that made Varlagas want to partner with him.

“He was a very good man, very smart businessman,” Varlagas said.

Together they created Olympic Cafe, later renamed Olympia Cafe, in 1992. They have called Savannah “home” since.

Varlagas described their humble beginnings. The pair took a risk starting the business before Savannah was known as a tourist destination. As the city has grown, so have they… creating a family.

Krieg described the moment she met Nick, “I was 17, and I was roller skating down River Street. Mr. Nick was outside with the calamari. He asked me for a sample, and I took one. And then he said, ‘how about a job?’ I said, ‘okay.'”

She’s been here ever since. She said their relationship was more like a father and daughter.

“My first impression of Nick was awe, because he was such a larger than life character. Mostly, it was the feeling of being able to learn something. He was a great teacher,” Krieg said. “He made people feel a certain way. You couldn’t put it into words, but you knew it when you were here.”

Neighboring businesses also felt the weight of his passing. Nick’s work shirt is now hanging on the wall, covered in signatures and messages from those neighbors. The entire building is a museum of his life.

“When you know somebody for almost 40 years. To lose them, no matter how old, it’s very hard for me. It’s very hard,” Varlagas said. “I’m here at the Olympia Cafe to be strong. The cafe is strong like a human.”

Krieg said, “That’s right. It has a heartbeat.”