Post #606046 by TikiTomD on Fri, Sep 9, 2011 9:08 AM

In June 1984, Mike Boukedis announced that he had bought the property formerly known as The Greenhouse Restaurant and Lounge (and originally known as the Beef ‘n’ Reef). In July 1984, he reopened it as the G’Kedis Family Restaurant, already a landmark Cocoa Beach eatery that he relocated to the new property from across the street. The name, G’Kedis, was derived from a contraction of Mike’s father’s name, George Boukedis...

Florida Today June 15, 1984

Florida Today August 10, 1984

From Tikis in the old Beef ‘n’ Reef to togas in the G’Kedis...

Florida Today July 19, 1985

After five-and-a-half years at the new location, the G’Kedis Family Restaurant went into bankruptcy, according to a January 1, 1990 article in the Orlando Sentinel. I was unable to find any reference to a successor, although there was a notice of a US Government Small Business Administration auction of the property on September 6, 1995.

Today, the original restaurant building is gone. There is a remnant building from 1974 located on the southwest corner of the property that may have been used by James Billet, the original owner of the Beef ‘n’ Reef, for his retail lighting business, Imagination, Inc. The property is located about three blocks south of the SR520 Causeway, on the west side of A1A, immediately south of the existing McDonald’s and across the street from the existing Comfort Inn & Suites.

According to the records of the Brevard County Tax Appraiser, the property is now owned by Ron Jon Surf Shop of Florida and the remnant building is used as a warehouse. Ron Jon’s main retail complex is on the east side of A1A about a block north of the property.

It would be great if TC members could search their collections for photos, menus, and the like and post images as Jonpaul did for the really cool Tiki matchbook cover.

-Tom