By Joanne Nesti
(July 3, 2026) — When you’re not a big believer in retirement, or even vacations, there’s only one thing to do and that is to work, and keep working. Nick Revenikas has owned Cordial Shoppe in Old Saybrook for 25 years, and now, at age 82, he has added Tony’s Package Store in Tylerville to his working life. He purchased the store almost a year ago and has spent months renovating, with new floors, new shelves, new racks and new lighting. “My slogan,” he says, “is ‘new owner, new look.’ ”
“New” seems to be the recurring theme of Nick’s life, starting with his early years in the town of Sotiros on the Greek island of Thassos, as the son of an olive farmer. He worked the land with his family, but when the time came for national service, either in the military or the police academy, Nick chose the latter. This new career worked out well in several ways. After graduation, he became the first police officer in the town of Gennadi on the Greek island of Rhodes, and it was there that he met his wife, Christina. In 1970, they came to the U.S. where Nick went to work at Colt Firearms. It was on the factory floor that he began to have a new thought: “Is this going to be my job?” After noticing other Greek families and friends who had opened restaurants, he went to work in one, then another, and then another before opening his own place in South Glastonbury, The Olympic.
After thirty years in the restaurant business, it was time for something new again. Nick and Christina took over Cordial Shoppe in 2001 and it was a family affair with their daughters on board. “I knew it would be a success,” Nick says. “If you treat people as friends rather than as customers, you’ll do fine.” As for the addition of Tony’s, Nick says he’d known the previous owners for years and knew they were interested in selling. He wanted the store for daughters Angela and Maria. In addition to the renovations, Nick says there will be wine tastings Wednesday through Saturday, though the hours will vary. “We hope people will come visit,” he adds.
As for retirement, Nick says he doesn’t think about it. “What would I do?” he says. “I like doing this.” And a vacation? His last one was about fourteen years ago when he returned to Greece for a visit. “I felt like an outsider,” he says. “There’s an old saying in Greece that ‘eyes that don’t see each other forget.’ For me, here is where I belong. Connecticut is home.”
Tony’s Package Store is at 95 Bridge Road in Haddam. The phone number is 860-345-4307.
Photos provided by Tony’s Package Store
