- April 6, 2026
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Ten years ago, Joel and Darcy King attended Blu Kouzina, a Greek restaurant at St. Armands Circle, for the first time.
They weren't sure what to order, so the staff brought them a variety of different foods, including a Greek salad, fresh lamb chops and pan-fried cheese, Saganaki.
It quickly became their favorite restaurant.
“The unique concept of the restaurant and the principles behind it — serving just fresh food with no preservatives — is what got us behind it,” Joel King said. “It was a product that we can get behind. It's food that we feed our own families and ourselves, and we want to share that.”
The Kings and John and Lisa Atanassov — who have been fans of Blu Kouzina the same amount of time — took over ownership of Blu Kouzina last June. And now they have opened (on March 18), a second location at University Town Center.
“I would describe it as home cooking,” Atanassov said. “Authentic Greek cuisine, done right and simple with the highest quality ingredients.”
Vinny Jurin, the general manager at Blu Kouzina, has been with the company since it was founded in 2015. He said it is important that customers get fresh food that has not been frozen and that isn't prepared in a microwave. Shopping for the restaurant is done every day.
“When you taste a tomato, you know you're eating a red, delicious plum, juicy, and gorgeous fruit,” Jurin said. “When you grill the meat, you grill the meat purely as the veal chop is on the grill. The whole branzino (European sea bass) is on the grill.”
He said every cuisine has a holy trinity, which is oregano, sea salt and olive oil.
Atanassov said there is enough variety in the menu to come back over and over again and have a different experience each time. He threw out examples including a Greek salad, seafood, chicken wrap, and Mediterranean bowl. They also have vegan and gluten-free options.
Jurin said they have separate grills and fryers for everything — seafood, meats, vegetables and more.
“Allergies are taken very seriously,” Jurin said. “We all have somebody who suffers from celiac or gluten intolerances. Their guts were getting wrecked but this food, you can feel good about it.”
One of the main goals of Blu Kouzina is to make the place comfortable for customers to slow down and enjoy the experience.
“It happens all the time, when people are the first to sit down, and they're literally the last to leave,” Joel King said. “That makes us feel good. That tells us that we've done our job of making them comfortable and they didn't have to rush and get out of here. We're not a burn-and-turn restaurant. We truly want you to come and enjoy everything we have to offer.”
“These plates are meant to be shared,” Jurin said. “There's a spoon in every bowl, a pair of tongs in every platter. Eat, enjoy, have a conversation, and put your phones away. Pretend you're in Greece.”
Lakewood Ranch’s Mary Boyd has been traveling to the St. Armands location for Blu Kouzina for the past four years. She said she goes with a group of friends to nice restaurants once a month. She said going to Blu Kouzina was a hike and she is thrilled to have a location more local.
Boyd tries to eat clean and fresh and often orders the same thing at Blu Kouzina — Chicken Kalamaki, a salad, and a Chardonnay. When she visited the new location, she ordered the Souvlaki Me Pita, a beef tenderloin wrap, and fries.
“The food is yummy and they have impeccable service,” Boyd said. “I sat in front of the new place at UTC. The flowers and the whole ambiance is just so relaxing and beautiful.”
Atanassov said the staff at the St. Armands location know many of their local customers by name as they see them as family.
“Here in this community (UTC), it's a little larger and more diverse,” Atanassov said. “We're hoping we have that same type of relationships and atmosphere as to the St. Armands Circle location).”
Lakewood Ranch’s Melissa Munker and Tara Barsch are fans of Blu Kouzina.
“The atmosphere is fun and super inviting,” Munker said. “After 6 p.m. they had a DJ who started to play music, and the restaurant came alive after that!”
“I would say this is probably the most unique restaurant in the UTC area,” Darcy King said. “Now people don't have to drive all the way to St. Armands. They get the same food, the same delicious experience here, and it's in their backyard.”
