Family history

the american dream

Evris Kontos, a young and dedicated baker, embarked on his journey from Cyprus to the United States in 1949 with dreams of achieving the American Dream. He joined his ancestors in Chelsea, Manhattan in learning the craft of producing hand-stretched fillo dough.

With a deep-rooted passion for baking inherited by his ancestors, Evris decided to open Apollo, a fillo bakery dedicated to preserving and shared the time-honored tradition of hand-stretched fillo dough. Employees at Apollo took immense pride in their Greek heritage and were committed to offering quality ingredients and artisanal methods to the surrounding communities.

success & innovation

Apollo became very successful and eventually was hitting capacity constraints. Evris was determined to find a quicker way to produce his products and realized that it was impossible without the help of machinery. 


In 1971, Evris met witha self-employed engineer and together, they worked day and night to produce the first fillo dough machine that was able to yield consistent, paper-thin dough.

As production ramped up, Evris was able to expand his product lines to fillo pastries such as baklava. 

a family business

Evris, along with his son Steve, collaborated for numerous years, leading to growth and propserity. The business flourished to a point where it caught the attention of bigger bakeries, prompting Evris to sell his beloved Apollo in 1984.

the 2nd generation

In 1987, Evris’ son, Steve, proudly carried on his father’s legacy in baking. Steve partnered with his father and opened Kontos Foods, a bakery specializing hand-stretched flatbreads. Together they created the famous New York-style pita bread that many have tried to replicate across the country. 

After perfecting their hand-stretching technique, Steve and Evris introduced fillo baking into their operation and manufactured products like fillo dough, baklava, spanakopita, and tiropita.

Steve’s dedication and passion for baking helped continue innovation and success in the business. Today, Kontos Foods produces over 60 flavors and shapes of flatbread while also distributing a variety of Mediterranean specialties such as meats, cheeses, olives, dips, and more. 

As the years pass, Kontos continues to expand their product catalog and widen distribution across the country and international borders.

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