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Memorable Manitobans: Chrystomis “Chrys” Kelekis (1888-1957)
Restauranteur.
Born in Turkey in 1888, he came to Canada in 1913 and lived in Montreal and Edmonton before settling in Winnipeg in 1918. He sold peanuts and popcorn from a pushcart and eventually opened a confectionary store. In 1914 he opened his first take-out store and in the 1930s sold “Kelekis Chips” at sporting events from his remodeled Model T Ford. In 1946, he opened Kelekis Restaurant at 1100 Main Street. The restaurant became a Winnipeg institution as locals, tourists and celebrities frequented it. He died at Winnipeg on 21 August 1957 and was buried in the Brookside Cemetery. The restaurant continued in operation under his six daughters, including Mary Kelekis.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Kelekis’ Restaurant (1100 Main Street, Winnipeg)
Sources:
“City restaurateur C. L. Kelekis dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 August 1957, page 4.
Chrys Kelekis, Brookside Cemetery: A Celebration of Life, Volume 2, page 55.
“Famous Winnipeg restaurant Kelekis is closing,” CBC News, 30 November 2012.
This page was prepared by Ian Stewart.
Page revised: 15 July 2022
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