After years of being called the Pancake Capital of the World, Williamsburg is finally making it official: It is hosting its first Pancake Festival Friday and Saturday.
It begins on the evening of Friday — National Pancake Day — at the Hellenic Center with a ticketed event that includes live music and family activities. The fest continues the next morning on Duke of Gloucester Street in Merchant’s Square during the Farmers Market.
Williamsburg, James City and York counties, however, have been riding the “Williamsburg Pancake Trail” all month and it includes a digital Pancake Pass with discounts to breakfast spots, restaurants, attractions and shops through Oct.5.
The folks at Visit Williamsburg are excited, including public relations specialist Selena Coles. She said it took Edward Harris, the recently appointed CEO and president of Visit Williamsburg, to point out the obvious.
“We were driving down Richmond Road one day and he said we really do have a lot of pancake houses,” Coles recalled. “We should really look into it.”
While researching pancakes in Williamsburg, the team found it was already dubbed the “Pancake Capital of the World” and decided to lean into it. Williamsburg earned the title because of the number of pancake houses per square mile, Coles said. Richmond Road – Williamsburg's main strip – has eight and several others are sprinkled throughout the city.
Coles said Visit Williamsburg wanted to add something fun to the calendar beyond VA250, the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. So far, more than 700 pancake passes have been registered.
Though the buttery hotcakes are what draw the crowds, honoring the families who founded the first pancake houses in Williamsburg is significant, said Marinos Kokolis, co-owner of Astronomical Pancake House on Richmond Road.
The Kokolis legacy goes back more than 45 years. Marinos Kokolis owns the restaurant with two of his brothers, Nick and George. Their father, John, came to the United States from Greece in the 1930s to work for his brother-in-law, Nick Saras. Back then, hotels didn’t offer breakfast, Marinos said, and Saras opened the Ivy House to accommodate tourists. More Greek families followed.
“Before my family came to this country,” Marinos said, “I don’t think they knew what a pancake was.”
In the late 1970s, John Kokolis re-named the Ivy to the more appropriate Astronomical Pancake House because of the extra-large size of the flapjacks. Astronomical offers flavors such as chocolate, red velvet and their most popular, cinnamon swirl. The brothers then opened Not Another Pancake House, also on Richmond Road.
Husband and wife team George and Rita Prassus, owners of Colonial Pancake House, attribute the success of their restaurants to the hospitality.
“Greeks love to feed people,” Rita Prassus said. “We find out what people want to eat, and we perfect it.”
George Prassus was born and raised in Williamsburg. His father opened National Pancake House in 1986 and George opened Colonial Pancake House in 1997.
“It’s in my blood,” he said.
The George and Rita Prassus say their pancakes taste like your grandma’s, fresh and crispy around the edges. During the festival, Colonial Pancake House is offering a mini flight featuring pumpkin spice, bacon, butter pecan, and apple pie pancakes.
Corey Bartlett, owner of Southern Pancake & Waffle House, brings soulful flavors to his tables. As the only Black-owned pancake house on Richmond Road, Bartlett said it’s essential that his menu featuring shrimp and grits, salmon cakes and scrapple, represents Black American culture. His pancake flavors include Reese’s Peanut Butter and, sometimes, sweet potato.
“When I got into the business, there were very few Black-owned pancake houses,” Bartlett said. “We are the only ones on Richmond Road that have a menu like this.”
Even though hotels now serve breakfast, Bartlett said pancake houses on Richmond Road have a two-hour wait in the summer. During the fall and winter months, owners have to lure back the locals, and there’s no better way than a pancake festival.
Marinos said it is long overdue.
“For this area being known as the Pancake Capital of the World, I feel like we should have gotten something going years ago,” Kokolis said. “We’re definitely excited about the festival and honoring the legacy.”
Visit visitwilliamsburg.com for more information.