A Greek “Titan” Returns to New York
Posted by estiator at 10 September, at 15 : 18 PM Print
Mega-store Titan Foods reopens in Astoria, bigger and better. By Michael Kaminer
Two years ago, the sale of a building in Astoria, Queens led to the demise of its biggest tenant—Titan Foods, touted as “the largest retail Greek food and grocery store in North America.” After four decades in the same spot, the Mastoras family was forced to look for new digs for its beloved Greek grocer.
Some Astoria locals despaired that the store may not return at all. But in August, Titan Foods quietly opened its doors in a gleaming, 18,000-square-foot space just half a mile from its original location.
“We’ve been working on reopening since the day we closed. We just didn’t think it would take this long,” says Anatoli Mastoras, Titan Foods’ marketing director and the daughter of cofounders Kostas and Stavroula Mastoras.
“We wanted to find the right place. We needed a location with parking. And because this location is larger than the previous one, there were many steps and many hiccups,” Mastoras tells Estiator.
New York City itself became “the biggest challenge,” she says. “We had DOB [Department of Buildings] delays. It took forever to get approvals, permits, and inspections. But it was important to do everything legally and not cut corners.”
Taking the time to open also meant “the brand could be represented accordingly, with the same service and quality we’re known for,” Mastoras says. The store has been in a soft-opening phase before an anticipated grand opening in late September or early October.
Word is spreading in Astoria about the reopening, Mastoras says. “When we opened back in the day, it was Greek consumers, but we now attract all of Astoria, including Italians, Croatians, and Serbians, who know Greek food, along with Americans. People have been asking since we closed when we’d reopen. Word of mouth has been terrific, and we’re getting the news out on social media.”
While the new space is shinier and bigger than the old location, some things at Titan Foods haven’t changed.
“Almost all of our products are imported from Greece. When it comes to products like olive oils and cheeses, we don’t just offer two or three; there’s a huge range of all different types,” she says.
“We’re known as a specialty gourmet market with unique kinds of products. There are other stores in the area, but people say we have the largest variety.”
A Greek-speaking greeter will welcome customers to the new store every day, with live-streaming broadcasts of Greek music—direct from Greece—on the sound system. “I might be greeting them myself,” Mastoras says, laughing.
“People want to be welcomed with a smile. They feel like they’re taking a trip to Greece.” The store will feature “lots of product samples, cooking demos, and many specials,” she says.
Titan has another edge over competitors: Its connection to the Mastoras family’s other business.
For 40 years, the clan has operated Optima Foods, one of the leading importers and distributors of Greek food products in the United States. “Most products at Titan Foods come from our wholesale business,” Mastoras says.
“When it launched, Optima Foods served only Greek restaurants. Now, as the business has expanded and the appreciation for Greek food grows, we have Mediterranean and American restaurants as customers. They keep adding Greek food items to their menus.”
Using Optima Foods for Titan Foods’ procurement “means we have better oversight of the products we sell at retail,” Mastoras says. “We make sure everything is exactly what it says on the label, including when we buy from other suppliers. We’ll visit factories and do our own quality control.”
While the Mastoras family prepares for a fall ribbon-cutting, Titan Foods continues to operate Titan Bakery in Deer Park, New York, as well as a jam-packed website with Greek products that ship nationwide.
Among its hundreds of sweet and savory treats: jars of Uncle Yiannis Sliced Jalapenos ($3.45), a one-pound wheel of Kashkaval sheep’s-milk cheese ($13.95), and Theoni Greek spring water ($2.50), along with books like My Greek Vegan Food, brass vigil lamps, ouzo-flavored candy, and even Dracouliniaby Cheetos, a must-have snack in Greece.
Titan Foods, which started as a small cheese and dairy store, also looms large in the history of Greek-American food. In fact, the store opened its doors on March 25, 1984, “the day of that famous day in Greek history when Greeks finally started the fight for their freedom and independence from the Ottoman Empire,” according to a 2016 profile of the Mastoras family.
“I don’t think there is a single Greek person in the whole tri-state area who doesn’t know the ‘titan’ or the giant of Greek supermarkets, Titan Foods,” the story enthused. “In fact, Titan Foods is well-known all over the country and the world.”
As the business enters its next chapter, Anatoli Mastoras plans to take on an expanded role.
“My parents are still very much involved, and they still guide us every day, but they’re at the age where they might retire in a few years,” she says. “I’m fortunate to have a team that works together with me on everything.”
Mastoras has been Titan Foods’ marketing director since 2020 and has been involved in the family business since 2007.
“I’ve been working in the store from a young age. I helped as a kid during holidays in the bakery or at the register,” she says. An alumna of Baruch College, she studied hospitality and tourism management at the American College of Thessaloniki and business at Cornell, working part-time at Titan through her school years as an office manager, bookkeeper, and social media manager.
Mastoras took a break in 2020, when she jumped into a role as personal assistant to the general manager of Thessaloniki’s Macedonia Hotel. By the end of the year, she was back in New York, directing Titan Foods’ marketing and communications.
“People know me, and they know my family,” she says. “The people who work for us have been with us many years, and they’re loyal to us. We explored many options for this reopening, but one thing was for sure—we knew we would stay in Astoria.”
