Mesquite, TX (WBAP/KLIF) – The Mesquite NAACP, Mesquite LULAC and others plan to protest against Atheneos Greek Village Cafe on Gross road, where the owner is facing two misdemeanor assault charges for alleged physical attacks of female teens who work there.
One girl said that the owner, Emmanuel Mastrogiannopoulos shook her and shoved her against a wall in his office amid a verbal dispute with his wife over $20 in tips. Another girl says she was grabbed, choked and thrown out into the snow and forced to wait outside in frigid temperatures until her parents picked her up.
The incidents reportedly happened on March 31st and February 12 respectively.
Both cases are making their way through the courts.
Henry Brown, President of the Mesquite NAACP took to Facebook live to express his concern over the situation, saying that the “We have to protect our children.”
In a press release to its members the Mesquite NAACP wrote:
“To the Mesquite NAACP Members and the general community. It has come to our attention that a local business in Mesquite has allegedly participated in criminal behaviors against at least two minors from our community and a possible third. It was reported by a mother, that on Wednesday night, the 31st of March at Atheneos Greek Village Café on 1425 Gross Road #100, Mesquite Texas the Atheneos restaurant owner assaulted her child.
It was noted that a young 16-year-old girl from our community working as a server or waitress was a victim. The wife of the owner got into a verbal confrontation with the minor over a series of tips which amounts to $20 cash value. The owner’s wife wanted a portion of the child’s money that had been serving tables all day but when the child refused or questioned the reason that the wife wanted her tips, the wife became verbally belligerent toward the child and the physical offense following, occurred with the wife’s husband.
According to the child’s mother, the nearly 6’5 man shook the child and pushed her against the wall in his private office. The police were called, and a Class C Misdemeanor Assault Charge was written against the owner for the assault.
Previously, on February 12th, 2021 a similar incident occurred at the same restaurant involving another minor, who alleged she was grabbed, choked by the neck, and thrown out into the snow by the owner in freezing temperatures. A staff member had to physically break up this assault by taking the owner’s hands from around the girl’s neck.
The owner forcefully removed the minor from his restaurant and the young child had to wait in the snow until her parents came through to pick her up. Charges were filed against the owner almost 10 days later, and it was a Class C Misdemeanor Assault Charge as well.
According to our information, both cases are working their way through court, and based on the doctor’s report of the most recent victim we are hoping the case is upgraded.”
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