‘This was not just a restaurant’: Beloved Carlton stalwart to close after 12 years
Come September, Angie Giannakodakis and Guy Holder will turn off the lights at their European restaurant Epocha.
Epocha, the iconic European restaurant run by hospitality veterans Angie Giannakodakis and Guy Holder, is closing after 12 years in Carlton.
Giannakodakis announced the news to her database and on Instagram on Wednesday. “I feel sad, I feel loved, I feel grateful,” she told Good Food.
“As a restaurant owner, you don’t have anyone to resign to apart from [the media] and your customers. I’ve started calling all our loved ones – our Epochians – and it’s a lot.
“This was not just a restaurant. Restaurants are people, and it was all about the connections. There are so many stories. Some of them got married here.”
The main reason for the closure, set for September, is the sale of the Victorian terrace that houses the restaurant, opposite Carlton Gardens on Rathdowne Street. “There’s been a big sign out the front for 10 months,” said Giannakodakis. “A lot of our customers have said, ‘I thought you had closed’. I think [that] has really impacted us.”
“This was not just a restaurant. Restaurants are people, and it was all about the connections.Angie Giannakodakis
The ongoing economic pressures plaguing the hospitality industry also played a role.
“There is some type of crisis, and we’ve felt it,” Giannakodakis said. “There will be another time for this style of restaurant, but for the time being it makes sense to close.”
Since opening in 2012, Epocha built a loyal following with its bountiful European-style dishes (and crowd-drawing Sunday roasts); an impressively eclectic list spotlighting Greek and Old World wines; and, most importantly, heart-filled hospitality.
“The community has always dictated what we do,” said Giannakodakis. “Initially we just wanted to be a local bistro, but they wanted us to become a full-on restaurant. So, we did. We brought in the dessert trolley … we’ve always had some tableside service.”
As for what’s next, Epochians will be pleased to hear that Giannakodakis, a consummate hospitality professional, still sees herself inextricably linked to the industry.
“I’m not done yet – I can never stay still,” she said.
“We’ve done a couple of pop-ups and events recently that have given me a couple of ideas.
“But the main thing after we [close] is to just stop and reflect … When I finally get that time, I’ll more than likely be thinking about hospitality again.”
Epocha’s final service will be on September 14. Bookings are recommended.
49 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, epocha.com.au
Tomas Telegramma is a food, drinks and culture writer.