Thanks to Laurie Marshall of Trademarks the Spot for the tip and photo
Signage for Telio has been spotted at 2672 Broadway at West 102nd Street, the former space of Abigail’s — the SoCal-style eatery that lasted just a smidgen more than a year before closing in March 2025.
Telio has been operating the dinner menu at Good Enough to Eat (520 Columbus Avenue at West 85th Street) since the December 2022 closure of its original location at 2479 Broadway (between West 92nd and 93rd streets) due to ballooning rent.
“I’ve been here since 1990,” said Yianni Berbeis, founder and owner of Telio, the Greek restaurant known for eloquently incorporating Italian and American offerings into the menu. But the man, who recently celebrated his 59th birthday, was referring to when he took over the Perfecto Pizza location at 2481 Broadway — a location that would later host his original work, Telio, just over a decade later in the mid-2000s. Speaking about the previous Perfecto owner, he said, “He was half Italian, half Greek, and his wife wanted to go back to Italy, and they said to me, ‘Yianni, do you want to keep the pizza place?’ I said, ‘Why not? That’s Perfecto.’”
Before Berbeis hatched Telio at 2479 Broadway next door to Perfecto, he recalled the space being vacant, then occupied by a hair salon. He explained that Telio in Greek translates to “perfect,” and the two eateries shared more than a two-decade run in a space with an open floor plan, allowing patrons to see into both restaurants simultaneously. Then came a rent hike in October 2022. In an interview at the time, Berbeis told us, “I’m used to paying $20,000 or $21,000 a month. Now, they’re asking for $39,000!” ILTUWS was on hand for Telio and Perfecto’s final night at their original address, and at the time, the future for both seemed uncertain.
Cue the hero: born-and-raised Upper West Sider and restaurateur Jeremy Wladis. The president of The Restaurant Group was known for stepping in to help local restaurants in their time of need. Wladis gave Big Gay Ice Cream new life with a licensing deal in 2022 after it was served an eviction notice. Around the same time, he also acquired Fred’s, a neighborhood gem on Amsterdam Avenue. Following the rule of threes, Telio was next. The neighbors became partners, moving into the Good Enough to Eat location — Telio handling dinner while Good Enough to Eat continued serving its famous breakfast and lunch.
Just recently, Berbeis was happy to share with Wladis over the phone that they had found a new permanent home for Telio, with a rent of roughly $26,000 a month — not too far off from what Berbeis had been used to paying. When pressed, Berbeis revealed his favorite Telio dish: the organic chicken. “It’s very special,” he said. It can be found throughout the menu — from the build-your-own burger to salads, gyros, and soups like the chicken avgolemono, to name a few.
Much of the classic Telio menu will remain as it moves to its new full-time home. Berbeis’ 95-year-old mother is also planning to work with the team and is currently in the process of traveling from Greece to help train the new staff. Many of the original Telio cooks and employees will be returning as well, since Berbeis also owns the upbeat Greek corner spot Korali Estiatorio on the Upper East Side at East 95th Street and Third Avenue, where some of the Telio team transitioned during the restaurant’s previous evolution.
Yianni Berbeis and his mother outside the original Telio
“It makes me feel great,” said Wladis on the team’s next steps. “I’m consulting and helping out on the deal, and hopefully it’ll be successful,” he added with enthusiasm.
“I live in the neighborhood. A lot of people see me every day and they say to me, ‘You going to bring back Telio full time?’” Berbeis shared with a laugh.
The nuance of running two different restaurant styles under one roof can be tricky. Going from corned beef hash and pancakes to papoutsakia eggplant and mushroom risotto is no small feat. In an era when it’s harder than ever for restaurants to thrive, two Upper West Siders banded together to keep the beat alive.
The official transition timeline is still being worked out, as Telio is waiting for their permanent liquor license to clear, delayed by city and state processing. Some new recipes are coming from Berbeis’ mom, who “still cooks two meals a day,” he proclaimed jovially — a sentiment that resonates when many of us gather with family for those special holiday dishes made by loved ones. Berbeis is looking to bring back the classic Telio experience to the Upper West Side. Don’t call it a comeback — it’s been here for years.
Perhaps just weeks away from opening, Berbeis and Wladis confirmed they’ll share an official date when ready, and we’ll update this story accordingly. The new space will accommodate roughly 120 guests.
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Dining and Cooking