A beloved restaurant in Eugene is moving from the downtown location it's held for nearly 40 years to a larger space in the 5th Street Market.
Poppi’s Anatolia is known for its saganaki, tzatziki, gyros plates and Greek salads.
The tiny restaurant at 992 Willamette St. has a lot of charm. Long-time patrons find comfort not just in the food, but in the cozy decor.
“We have these beautiful natural wood beams in this location,” said Poppi’s co-owner, Shanti Walling, as she looked around the restaurant’s dining room. In the kitchen, staff prepared to open for the day.
“We are going to be installing some natural wood as much as we can, to continue that feeling, that kind of grounded warmth that it brings to the space,” Walling said. “We are going to bring all of our plants and then some.”
She said the tapestries that have hung on the walls for decades will be part of framed artwork at the new space. They’re bringing all the art hanging on these walls.
Poppi’s is moving to a space at the 5th Street Market most recently occupied by a Pho restaurant.
Walling said there are a lot of reasons for the move. First and foremost it's about space.
“This space is quite small. This kitchen is smaller than a lot of people’s kitchens in their own homes,” she said. “And we’re putting out a huge amount of volume for somewhere this small.”
She said on weekends they’re fully booked with waitlists much of the time. The capacity is for 50 people or so, and on a busy night they serve up to 100. The new space is much larger and has a walk-in cooler, which the current spot doesn’t have.
A larger bar and more outdoor seating also appeal. Also, Walling said downtown Eugene has become challenging because of people hassling customers or asking for money.
“It has gotten quite hard to conduct business downtown sometimes. I’ve had people move in from outside tables enough that it’s quite noticeable,” she said. “And, of course I have tons of compassion for the folks out there but it does make people’s dining experience quite challenged sometimes.”
Waling said she loves downtown Eugene and, “there’s a part of me that feels I’m abandoning downtown.”
Walling took over the business a couple of years ago. She was close with Poppi herself, who opened the restaurant as “Poppi’s Greek Taverna” in 1977.
“She had hopes of creating a space where people in the community could come and eat and drink and be together in that shared experience,” Walling said. “And she wanted it to feel like people were coming home to their Yaya’s Greek kitchen.”
Poppi’s original location near the University of Oregon was displaced when Sacred Heart hospital was built.
They’ve been downtown as Poppi’s Anatolia since 1987.
Walling said she’s made a few changes since she took ownership. They added a bar. And, recently, they changed the menu. They’re no longer serving Indian dishes along with their Greek cuisine. She said that change was a long time coming and it was something Poppi talked about before she died.
“Like I said, we were very, very close. She taught me how she wanted me to run the restaurant to keep her spirit alive in it,” said Walling. She added that Poppi felt because there are many Indian restaurants in Eugene at this point, she wanted them to focus on the original Greek theme.
“It made more sense for the restaurant to go back to be 'Poppi’s Greek Taverna,' which is who we will be now,” said Walling. “And that was actually Poppi’s vision.”
Walling said her cooks are passionate about Greek food.
And for those who miss the Indian dishes, like chicken vindaloo, the restaurant plans to release “Poppi’s Indian Food Recipe Book” this fall.
Poppi’s Anatolia will have its final dinner service on Sunday, Sept. 28. They’ll reopen as “Poppi’s Greek Taverna” at the 5th Street Market in October.
