Sam Panopoulos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sam Panopoulos
|
|
|---|---|
| Σωτήριος Πανόπουλος | |
| Born |
Sotirios Panopoulos
20 August 1934 Vourvoura, Greece
|
| Died | 8 June 2017 (aged 82) London, Ontario, Canada
|
| Occupation | Chef and businessman |
| Known for | Creator of Hawaiian pizza |
| Spouse(s) |
Christina Panopoulos
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 2 |
Sotirios "Sam" Panopoulos (Greek: Σωτήριος Πανόπουλος; August 20, 1934 – June 8, 2017) was a Greek-born Canadian chef and businessman. He is known as the person who invented the popular Hawaiian pizza.
Contents
Sam's Early Life
Sotirios Panopoulos was born in a place called Vourvoura, Greece. This was on August 20, 1934. When he was 20 years old, in 1954, he moved to Canada. He first arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
His Career and the Famous Pizza
Sam Panopoulos first settled in Sudbury, Ontario. Then he moved to Elliot Lake, Ontario. There, he found work in the mines.
He tried pizza for the first time in North America when he visited Windsor, Ontario. Before that, he had tasted pizza in Naples, Italy.
Sam and his brothers, Elias and Nikitas, owned a place called the Satellite Restaurant. It was in Chatham, Ontario. They sold common American foods like burgers and fries. They also offered American Chinese dishes, which often mix sweet and savory tastes.
How Hawaiian Pizza Was Born
In the early 1960s, Sam started selling pizzas at his restaurant. Pizza was becoming very popular in the United States at that time. In 1962, Sam had a new idea. He decided to add canned pineapple to pizza!
This new idea quickly became popular with his customers. However, some people who love traditional pizza do not like pineapple on it.
A Prime Minister's Support
In February 2017, the President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, said he thought pineapple should be banned from pizza. After this, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, posted a message online. He wrote: "I have a pineapple. I have a pizza. And I stand behind this delicious Southwestern Ontario creation." This showed his support for Sam's invention!
Sam's Personal Life
Sam Panopoulos and his wife, Christina, were married for 50 years. They had two children, a son and a daughter. They also had several grandchildren.
Sam sold the Satellite Restaurant in 1980. He lived in London, Ontario for the rest of his life. He also worked as a restaurant owner there. Sam passed away suddenly on June 8, 2017, in London, Ontario.
See also
In Spanish: Sam Panopoulos para niños
- List of Canadian inventions and discoveries
- Greek Canadians
