HOUSTON - The story of Christie's Restaurant begins, when a Greek man named Theodore Christie arrived in America from his birthplace in Constantinople (now Istanbul). Originally born as Theodosios Christofidis, he changed his name to be easier to pronounce in America. In 1905, the 20 year old graduate of Turkey's prestigious Robert College found work as a court interpreter in New York City and was later introduced to the world of hotel and restaurant management.

On the advice of a friend, Christie moved to Galveston, where legal gambling and a bustling tourist trade fueled a booming local economy and other Greek immigrants were prospering. He opened a sandwich shop in the Tremont Hotel, where his fried fish sandwiches on toasted Po-boy bread made Christie's an instant hit.

Galveston Is

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