CHINA GROVE — John Kazakos is reopening the Captain's Galley Seafood Restaurant his father founded — and he'd just as soon everyone forget about what caused the eatery to close last year and stay shut ever since.
After several customers became sick in June 2007, Captain's Galley was shut down by Rowan County Health Department officials, who determined that employees had slaughtered a goat in the restaurant's kitchen days before people started reporting symptoms. One woman eventually died from the E. coli outbreak.
The restaurant has remained vacant ever since.
Enter Kazakos, who plans to return the restaurant to its glory days from when his father, Andreas, opened the third Captain's Galley in a chain that now includes 21 others, mostly in North Carolina.
"We went at our own pace," John Kazakos said Wednesday. "It really could've not happened at all. But it did."
Lynn Aldridge, supervisor at the Rowan County Environmental Health Department, said the restaurant got its permit to reopen Wednesday. And he pointed out that food handling establishments everywhere get better by learning from the mistakes of the past.
Kazakos doesn't plan to dwell on the restaurant's former troubles — or the sour economy's effects on people starting new businesses or trying to entice customers to eat out.
"We understand the rough economy," he said. "We're doing something affordable and something for less than they could do going to a grocery store."
After the senior Kazakos opened his first restaurant in Stony Point 28 years ago, he picked a former A&P grocery store in China Grove for the third Captain's Galley in 1988.
His son said the growing number of locations over the years is evidence of the chain's recipe for success, preparing the freshest seafood and other items while maintaining prices that make a dining out experience affordable.
He points out the new menu will include an entire page of daily specials, ranging from items like shrimp for $4.49 and a popcorn shrimp/flounder combo for $6.95 up to a Captain's Galley seafood platter for $12.95.
He said about 30 employees will work at the restaurant, which seats 350 and has rooms that can be used for parties or other gatherings. Workers spent more than a month getting the restaurant ready, with new paint on the exterior and other updates inside.
He emphasized the restaurant will be family-owned and operated, with his father helping out if needed. Both are residents of Winston-Salem.
Kazakos said he has no doubts the community will support the restaurant again. "We're not scared to open our doors," he said. "We have the quality, hospitality and menu to back it up. We're very excited."
Captain's Galley will open Tuesday for the first time. It will be open weekly Tuesday-Saturday from 3-9 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The phone number is 704-857-6224.
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ATTN Karen : Wednesday, October 22, 2008 9:37 PM
I have to agree with you, we are always so eager to blame the mexican's for everything, if we all think back 10 years ago, there was never no talk about this crap,and now that someone has opened the door to it, everybody uses it as an excuse as to why bad things happen. I also don't think it is right that just because someone is mexican we automatically think oh they are illegal, because there are alot that are here legally. I have noticed rowan county is becoming a very racist county to live in, sometimes I am worried what my children are learning.
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shaie
Food For Thought : Wednesday, October 22, 2008 3:24 PM
Just wondering..... if the same cooks are not at Captains Galley.... wonder WHERE they are cooking at??
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BEM
I couldn't have said it better Sky!!!!! : Wednesday, October 22, 2008 11:25 AM
Having worked in restaurants and for a catering business in Salisbury in my younger years, I witnessed a lot of things that would turn your stomach. (I might add that then, 99.9% of the employees were white.) Getting to know the inspector (now deceased), he told stories of places (without calling names) that made me rethink where I chose to eat. The first couple of times I encountered the gentleman, I noticed that he always carried his own plastic utensils to eat with. When I questioned him on it, you don't want to know his reply! I too ate at AL'S as well as Bills Bakery that also displayed a C rating. Bills rating was due to nothing more than outdated equipment. No matter what race or culture, legal or illegal, you can never be sure that ANY employee that is handeling your food has washed their hands. For that matter, you can't be sure that someone in the kitchen didn't drop your food on the floor, pick it up and serve it to you! Ever notice how many people still take your money and go right back to preparing food? If you really paid attention to what's going on in some of these establishments, you would never eat out again! Good luck Captian's Galley, looks like you will need all you can get!
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Careful
Captain's Galley : Wednesday, October 22, 2008 10:50 AM
To each his own but I would not eat there if it were free and it has nothing to do with who is working there. But folks remember, we don't know who is in these kitchens. I have a friend who once ran a popular italian cafe and he had mexicans doing the cooking so I guess they all decieve us to a certain extent. I wish the manager well but I certainly will not patronize him. I remember too well the life lost.
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Get over it
Karen, get off your high horse!! : Tuesday, October 21, 2008 10:57 PM
Your holier than thou attitude is not very becoming. Just because you believe in open borders for the US does not make it legal for illegal aliens to come here. What part of illegal do you not understand? Why should we welcome people who break our laws by coming here? Many of us have "criminal-phobia". We don't like criminals coming here - Mexican, Cuban, Russian etc. If they are coming here illegally, we don't like it and are working to get more enforcement of our immigration laws. I know you see the illegal aliens as probable democrat voters, but that is not sufficient justification for most of us.
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Chris
Any takers? : Tuesday, October 21, 2008 10:52 PM
I wonder how many folks have eaten there tonight? Anyone mind sharing the experience?
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Sky
who knows what lurks : Tuesday, October 21, 2008 6:43 PM
Unfortunately we never know for sure what goes on behind the kitchen doors of any eating establishment. Who’s to say whether the employee used proper hand washing technique upon leaving the bathroom? How often is the ice machine cleaned where you eat? The soft drink dispenser is a motel for roaches if not kept clean. It has been many years since I have eaten at the Captain’s Gallery, only because it is too far to travel. I hope some will give the owner a second chance to redeem his once outstanding reputation. To those who are closing the door on him before he gets started, you have the right to eat where you feel most comfortable. Some of you like me will remember some of the best hotdogs I’ve ever eaten came from Al’s when he was down the street from where the laundry mat is now where he proudly displayed his Grade C rating. I wish the new owners much success.
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Monk
: Monday, October 20, 2008 4:55 PM
Karen Im strongly against illegal immigration from any country.Its not fair to those that have waited and prepared to come here legally. Saying that im not so upset that a illegal may cook,serve or do a sevrice for me.But I'd rather enjoy my meals knowing that some one had washed their hands and all work services. Sorry they will not see me there.
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Dan Goodnight
Zenophobia?? : Monday, October 20, 2008 12:27 PM
Karen, xenophobia is a fear and/or contempt of strangers or foreign peoples. I really don't sense that in any comments i see here (no matter how one might spell the word!). Do we have a lot of illegal's who work in local restaurants? Yes - i know that for sure. My son is Mexican and i happen to know a number of legal and illegal Hispanics. So while we cannot be certain that all of the individuals involved were illegal - it is not a stretch for people to assume this. The important thing in all of this is for restaurant owners/managers to do everything in their power to ensure sanitary conditions so that no one dies in the future at this restaurant or others in the area.
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DOC
don't mean they were illegal : Monday, October 20, 2008 8:40 AM
I didn't forget!! They were never able to show any papers for them to be in country! According to the the former worker, "John was the only one with a key to let them in" that day! Same people working there? I haven't seen an ad for hiring, have you?-------------- We colonized this country. Taking it from the Native Indians in the east and Native Mexicans to the west. We done this by bringing our culture and laws with us. The South Americans (not just Mexicans) are colonizing the U.S. the same as we done. Right or Wrong? I don't care, I don't want their laws brought with them. Just one example was the young Cole Puffinburger 7 years old, kidnapped because of money owed to the drug dealers. This type of crime is commonplace in South America. Now they are to become common place here. All I ask is "When in Rome do as the Romans do). I have respect others enough to do this.
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Karen
Zenophobia more deadly than food : Sunday, October 19, 2008 9:24 PM
The racist rants about Mexicans is more deadly to our society than the food at this restaurant. This had nothing to do with illegal immigration. But that's fine, because I'd rather enjoy my meals knowing that racists will go elsewhere.
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aaaa
attn; Everyone : Sunday, October 19, 2008 9:06 PM
First I agree I will not eat there, because i have gotten sick there before, however just because he has mexican workers don't mean they were illegal, it is really ashame how we past judgement on everyone now... Not all mexican's here are illegal's we need to stop using this as an excuse for what goes wrong.
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DOC
fine tooth comb : Saturday, October 18, 2008 11:15 PM
They passed the last inspection before people got sick and (ONE DIED) with a fine tooth comb back then! It's the same people operating it. They'll hire the same illegals, and do the same as before. It seems some people will eat anything.
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a "community" member not returning
Do you really think people have forgotten? : Saturday, October 18, 2008 11:09 PM
"and he'd just as soon everyone forget about what caused the eatery to close last year and stay shut ever since." I bet he would like for everybody to forget about it. I however find it hard to forget when an innocent person dies and others are sickened just because of where they decided to eat. He says that the restaurant will employ about 30 people, is that going to be the same illegal immigrants that he had before? Maybe this time there won't be any wild goats killed and butchered in the same kitchen where YOUR food is going to be prepared. But I'm sure that this time they might try to clean up a little bit better than the last time, if for no other reason than to try and hide the evidence. He says that "he has no doubts the community will support the restaurant again", but I just don't think that I'm willing to take that chance with my life or my children's just so somebody can make a few extra bucks by not paying fair wages to english speaking american citizens.
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stormyweather
no thanks : Saturday, October 18, 2008 10:29 PM
I will NOT eat here!
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KS
Health Department : Saturday, October 18, 2008 10:06 PM
You have to know that the place was cleanded and equipment was changed. The health department shut them down and has now gave them a clean bill to open back up. Don't you think they went through it with a fine tooth comb after what happened before.
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resident
dont think ill come back there : Saturday, October 18, 2008 10:40 AM
ppl got sick eating there
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L. T.
Updates?? : Saturday, October 18, 2008 9:16 AM
I hope some of those updates were getting rid of the kitchen equipment and replacing with new. That would be the only way I would ever eat there again, and to know that the people who worked there last year, no longer had a job there. Paint doesn't make memories go away. I wish you luck in reopening, I was a frequent visitor before all this happened. I can only hope things go well for you.
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Love of history: Teacher's ability to reach students leads to honor
