The Triangle’s busiest restaurant owner has plans for a Chapel Hill oyster bar
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Giorgios Bakatsias will open Géos Tavern & Oyster Bar in Chapel Hill spring 2026.
- Géos will occupy the East 54 development's former Tobacco Road at 1118 Environ Way.
- Dan Jackson will lead the oyster bar kitchen; he's chef and partner at Osteria Georgi.
The Triangle’s most prolific restaurateur has plans for a new seafood restaurant in Chapel Hill.
Giorgios Bakatsias will open the new Géos Tavern & Oyster Bar in Chapel Hill this spring. The new bivalve destination will move into the East 54 development, which has become a bit of a satellite foodie spot outside of downtown, housing popular restaurants like Hawthorne & Wood, Bluebird and the Bakatsias-owned Bin 54.
Leading the new oyster bar and gastropub will be veteran chef Dan Jackson, who is also chef and partner of the Bakatsias Italian restaurant Osteria Georgi.
“Géos Tavern and Oyster Bar is designed to feel familiar and warm from the moment you walk in,” said Bakatsias in a press release. “It’s an elevated neighborhood tavern - comfortable, welcoming, and built for connection. A place where the locals gather, and the outsiders feel at home.”
Bakatsias restaurants
In the last decade Bakatsias, has expanded his restaurant empire across the Triangle and the North Carolina coast, emerging as the most prolific restaurant owner in the area. In his three decades in the Triangle, restaurants like Vin Rouge, Kipos and Parizade have become institutions.
His Durham restaurant Nikos earned Michelin Recommended honors in the inaugural American South guide in 2025. His latest project, the sushi bar Tomi, opened in Raleigh last year.
Géos Tavern & Oyster Bar will open at 1118 Environ Way in the former Tobacco Road space.
This story was originally published January 20, 2026 at 2:02 PM with the headline "The Triangle’s busiest restaurant owner has plans for a Chapel Hill oyster bar."
