The Family Business

LEEANN POLITIS never sought to enter the restaurant business with her family; rather, it’s an opportunity she’s honored to have been given.

Together with her son, CHRIS POLITIS, and daughter-in-law, SHEILA POLITIS, the three opened Middle Sound Grille in May, a 1,200-square-foot restaurant at 7227 Market Street. LeeAnn serves as the general manager, and Chris and Sheila are its co-owners. They also brought in partners KYLE and MIRIHA ANTOINE, who were a driving force to get the restaurant open and building it out.

Middle Sounds Grille is part of The Bend, an entertainment spot nestled in the Ogden hangout spot in Wilmington. Other businesses at The Bend include Parlour House at The Bar and Grumpy’s Soft Serve at The Bend.

The idea to go into business together started with Chris Politis, who also works as a general contractor with his wife. The two were working on renovations at Parlour House when a conversation with its owner showed Chris the potential the space had.

“They started talking with the property owners about what their plans were, what their vision was for the piece of property, and they said they were looking to put a restaurant in there,” LeeAnn Politis says. “They started out with food trucks, but they wanted to put a restaurant in there. Chris saw the potential, was talking to a lot of people that were really excited about it. Ultimately, the owner of Parlour House asked Chris if he’d be interested in building and running the restaurant, and he couldn’t pass it up.”

“We have been general contractors for the past eight years,” says Sheila Politis. “We decided to open the restaurant after doing the renovations and build out of the Parlour House. We fell in love with the property and location.”

Opening and running a restaurant isn’t foreign to the family. Prior to moving to Wilmington, LeeAnn Politis “had restaurants in Charlotte for many, many years, and moved to Holden Beach and opened restaurants there,” which her son helped with. Then, about ten years ago, she moved to Wilmington and left the restaurant business completely to start a new career in mental health.

Growing up, her son was around restaurants and saw what all went into operating one. Mostly, he saw his mom pour into her businesses, and when he decided to establish Middle Sound Grille, he knew she “knew the business like nobody else” because she’d done it for so long.

“He got excited about opening a restaurant because he’d grown up in the restaurant business,” she says. “So, he started talking to me about coming on board and helping him open this restaurant. He built the restaurant, his company did, and they also built the ice cream shop that’s on the property.”

From Sheila’s point of view, LeeAnn is “a diamond and at the center of the restaurant.”

“LeeAnn was always a huge part of our life,” Sheila Politis says. “We knew she would be the perfect person to run the restaurant. She has opened countless restaurants and has so much experience. She holds it all together.”

When it came time to name their business, the trio decided on Middle Sound Grille because the restaurant is right off Middle Sound Loop Road. Inspiration for the restaurant’s design and decor was largely drawn from Chris and Sheila’s time living in Costa Rica. Its outdoor space has giant Connect Four games and ample space for children to play and run around.

“My son and daughter-in-law are surfers, and they spent a lot of time in Costa Rica,” LeeAnn Politis says. “The outdoor patio area is all beautiful wood, and the bar that goes around the edges of it and the inside counter are all wood from Costa Rica. It has a very outdoor, tropical feel to it. Inside is the kitchen and a walk-up counter where you can order to-go or pick up the to-go orders that are ordered online.”

Its menu boasts a variety of appetizers, burgers and sandwiches, seafood dishes, and salads. Many of Middle Sound Grille’s popular menu items are dishes LeeAnn Politis’ previous restaurants served, such as a chicken speedie: a Greek marinated chicken in a pita with lettuce and tomato with tzatziki sauce on the side. Other popular menu items are its Philly cheese steak, bacon jam burger, and grouper bites.

Looking back on the process of founding the restaurant, Sheila credits LeeAnn and the Antoines for the seamless process.

“It all came together seamlessly with the help of LeeAnn and the Antoines,” Sheila Politis says about the founding of the restaurant. “It’s all been a huge blessing, and we are so grateful to have this special place.”

To view more of photographer Aris Harding’s work, go to arisharding.com.

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