An Iranian family that owns the Greek House restaurant near Campus Corner decided to sell the business due to hard working conditions.

The place was established in 1979 and has barely changed since. When in 2012 the original owner sold Greek House and moved back to Greece, the Tajbakhshs purchased the place and “worked hard to preserve the legacy and implement some improvements,” said Mohammad Tajbakhsh, the current owner.

Since 2012, the Tajbakhshs observed a steady increase in visitor figures, up to the point when the work became too exhausting.

“We only live once,” said Mohammad’s daughter, Tannaz Tajbakhsh. “Spending around 10 hours a day, five days a week in the kitchen is certainly not good for our health,” said Tannaz.

Mohammad, 59, has recently started looking for customers willing to take over the business. “At my age, I grow tired. It’s better to find another family that will take good care of Greek House,” said Mohammad.

The Tajbakhshs said that their approach has always been to change as little in the restaurant’s design as possible.

By preserving the historical look of Greek House, the owners stay loyal to the people of Norman, and same will be expected from the next owners, said Mohammad.

Both Nima and Tannaz have bachelor degrees in fields not related to cooking: Nima is a filmmaker and Tannaz is a financier. They plan to go work in the respective fields after their parents sell the restaurant.

As for Mohammad, he said that he prefers to switch to “some lighter job” and spend more time at home.