Our History

A long history full of sweet and savory flavours and creations

Almost half a century ago Savoidakis Company founded its first store in the city of Heraklion.

Through all these years, we create sweet and savory flavours and innovative products of which the unique taste characterizes completely our long history. The great love of the company founder George Savoidakis for confectionery gave birth to a successful company performance.

Working with enthusiasm, love and consistency, the company has managed to be in the forefront featuring the biggest bakery & patisserie chain in Crete and elsewhere.

At the age of 17, the founder and soul of the company George Savoidakis was taught the art of confectionary by the most acknowledged names of confectionary at that time.

The first Savoidakis patisserie opened on Kyrillou Loukareos Street.

At the age of 23, George Savoidakis opened his first store on Kyrillou Loukareos St. in Heraklion of Crete along with a small confectionary lab of two employees.

But that was just the beginning…

The second store opened on Ieronimaki Street and a confectionary laboratory was established on Archanon Street.

Given that the local society had warmly welcomed the initial store, Savoidakis Patisserie opened a second one on Ieronimaki St. and a laboratory of 10 employees on Archanon Street. The second store, which still exists, was recently renovated.

The third patisserie on Kyprou Street.

Six years later, on Kyprou Street opened its doors the third Savoidakis patisserie, considered as a very avant-garde store for the time.

New factory in the Industrial Area of Heraklion

At the end of 1981, our small business took the form of an S.A. At the same time, it was establishing a plant of 1.300m within the Industrial Area of Heraklion that was completed two years later. At that time, it was characterized as a huge innovation because of its operational excellence and modern equipment.

During the next decade, the company’s growth was a result of hard work. There followed unit enlargements and numerous new stores. Everything in Savoidakis Bakery and Patisserie was changing over time but at the heart of it, something has remained the same: love. Throughout time, our love for work has always strengthened, and likewise our customers’ love for us. The fact that people love, trust and acknowledge our brand is finally the best reward. It is the reward for providing quality, taste, innovations and outstanding stores.

Wholesale Development – Entering new marketplaces

Within a decade, Savoidakis S.A opened its wings and successfully entered two landmark fields in which it is still at the forefront. More precisely, in 1993 it started the confectionery and ice cream wholesale to cafes, hotels, restaurants and other foodservice companies.

Savoidakis Bakery

George Savoidakis decided to enter the field of baking by opening a traditional bakery on Kalokairinou Avenue. The Metsovo bread, the first great achievement of the bakery, crowned with success these first steps into bakery business. Today, in all our bakery and pastry shops you can find many kinds of bread and bakery goods.

In the three years that followed, our bakery and patisserie chain grew up by four locations. Namely:

Two new stores on Dikaiosinis and Ikarou avenues

Two more stores are integrated into the company’s potential. Firstly, the store of Dikaiosinis Avenue even now continues to be one of the most successful bakery and patisserie of the chain. The second one has opened successfully its doors on Ikarou Ave. and remains one of the most distinctive stores in Heraklion so far.

New store on Papandreou Avenue

In the middle of the year 1998, another store opened on Papandreou Ave. The current store (relocated nearby) is a symbol of warmth and welcome and an easily accessible place.

New store on 62 Martyron Avenue

Yet another store opened on 62 Martyron Avenue. Here you can find daily our own-brand products of top quality and freshness.

Investing on development and innovation

The increasing demand, the consequent production growth and the requirement of complying with the principles of the European and national legislation upon food safety and hygiene, led us to the planning, the development and the application of HACCP and ISO 9001:2000 quality management systems.

This fact raised the need of upgrade the production unit located in the Industrial Area of Heraklion in order to not only comply with the principles of the HACCP and ISO 9001:2000 systems but also keep up with the ongoing production demands.

Expansion of the unit in Heraklion and the new production unit in Rhodes. – Creation of “Savodor”, the first store under the philosophy of quick service restaurant.

George Savoidakis, a restless businessman and perfectionist, foresees the market needs and in 2001 started to extend the production unit from 2.000sq.m to 14.000sq.m. (Prior to that, the total area has reached the 2.000sq.m due to earlier additions/extensions). In fact, that was a huge investment risk. The whole reconstruction needed to be deliberate and built in compliance with the European Union’s provisions. Besides the enlargement of the production unit in Heraklion, we started the construction of a new factory of 2.500sq.m in Rhodes Island. As people said, it looked like a smaller version of the Heraklion factory.

In the same year, our firm created the “Savodor” brand, a neoteric store type under the philosophy of quick snack. Furthermore, yet another Savoidakis location was born in the heart of Heraklion market and more precisely on 1866 Street.

New store in Rethymno

In 2002, the first out-of-Heraklion store opened in Rethymno city. It consists equally of both bakery & patisserie and “Savodor”. It is such a charming, spacious (700sq.m) and extra modern location that the citizens of Rethymno have warmly welcomed it.

The completion of the unit in Heraklion, the founder’s death and the continuation of his vision by his family.

In September 2004, after the completion of the factories in both Heraklion and Rhodes, George Savoidakis, the founder and soul of the company, passed away far too young and left behind his unfinished dream. Nevertheless, since he used to be an over-achiever, he left behind a significant project and a timeless vision that his family carries on with enthusiasm and creativity so far. Thus, his wife Eva Savoidakis together with Isabella and Nikos, the two of their three children, are in charge of the company since 2004.

During the same year, the company integrated four more stores into its capacity and subsequently obtained the accreditation by TUV HELLAS for applying ISO 9001:2000 quality management systems.

New stores on Therissou Avenue and in Archanes village – HACCP Certification

That year began with the opening of two stores: on Therissou Street in Heraklion and in Archanes village.

On 31/3/2005, the company was accredited for implementing the HACCP preventive approach to food safety (ELOT 1416 standard). Investing a lot in the excellent product quality, the company created an HACCP team coordinated by the Quality Assurance Manager in order to control each quality and hygiene aspect of the production procedure, from the sourcing of raw materials to the point the final products reach the consumer. The implementation of HACCP system was efficiently carried out in collaboration with the Food Microbiology Unit of the School of Medicine of the University of Crete and other accredited Laboratories.

Accordingly, the company started merchandising with hotel chains, catering services, hospitals, military units, supermarkets, cafes etc. The factory of Heraklion by possessing the most modern machinery has now the potential to implement the vision of its founder. Henceforth it achieves higher production capacities in order to respond to the market needs of not only Crete and Greece but also abroad.

Since then, Savoidakis Bakery and Patisserie has successively created several new ranges of products and innovative services oriented to the consumers’ needs and the modern way of life. Moreover, the company is continually updating and evolving the retail network.

42 years ago: we began with a small bakery in Loukareos Street, somewhere in Heraklion..  

42 years later: we count 18 stores, 300 employees, hundreds of fresh goods of top quality, 100.000 satisfied customers, 2 ultramodern factories under constant upgrade, development, evolution.

More than a team, we are a family. Together we plan, create, innovate and evolve… We exist because we love what we do, because we constantly seek ways to go from good to great, from “fine” to “extra fine”!

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