In 1949, Nicholas “Papou Nick” Ballas opened the doors to what would become Augusta’s oldest family-owned restaurant.  Born in Mytilini on the island of Lesvos, Greece, Nick came to the United States in approximately 1920 to begin a new life for himself.  After migrating to the south from New England, he worked in catering until the opportunity arose to begin his own business. Because few were familiar with Greek cuisine, Nick created a menu with mostly Italian creations, despite his own Greek heritage. The small restaurant with a northern flare quickly became a hub for businessmen, soldiers, and families. 

In 1954, Nick’s health began to fail. To help with the business, Nick’s son Chuck and Chuck’s wife Penny moved down from Massachusetts, with their three children in tow, Cynthia, Debbie, and Chuck Jr.  The couple went to work, falling in love with Augusta for its southern charm, good schools, and clean environment.  It didn’t take long for Chuck and Penny to add their own touches to the restaurant and they quickly became involved in the community. 

Chuck and Penny became the sole proprietors of Luigi’s when Nick died unexpectedly in a car accident in 1960. By that time, the couple was fully immersed in the community and continued on with the restaurant, working side by side.  Chuck, particularly, had fallen in love with the golf community, as evidenced by the golf memorabilia that dots the restaurant’s walls to this day. In the early days of the Masters tournament, Chuck would buy tournament tickets and distribute them to his clientele. As history would have it, Luigi’s became a popular dining spot for many of the tournament’s golfers, members, and various celebrities. 

In 1988, Chuck was ready to retire from the restaurant business.  His son Chuck Jr., with his wife Debi, had been running a small pizza place called Lil’ Luigi’s for over ten years. It was then that the business passed from the second to third generation. Chuck Jr. ran both restaurants for a time, but wound up selling Lil’ Luigi’s to his cousin, who ran it for a few years before it closed.  Just as Chuck and Penny’s children grew up working the family business, Chuck Jr. and Debi’s three children, fourth generation Penelope, Bebe, and Claudia, did the same over the following decades.

In 2017, we lost our beloved father and grandfather, Chuck Sr. at the age of 91. In 2020, our matriarch, Penny (age 93), was reunited with her husband. We have no doubt they are smiling down on the fourth and fifth generations as their legacy is carried on.

In 2021, after battling systemic scleroderma for over 12 years, Debi lost her battle and passed away at the age of 68. Chuck Jr. made the decision to retire and Luigi’s passed to fourth generation’s Penelope in 2022. On any given night, you can still find members of the family working or dining together at the family table and you might just catch a glimpse of one of the fifth generation being groomed in the family business.

… all beneath the portrait that hangs at the front of the restaurant of the man who began it all … “Papou” Nick