Prominent downriver restaurateur Christ Doulos, a resident of Grosse Ile, died unexpectedly on Sept. 13. He was 73.
Carole Bell-Doulos, his wife of 12 years, said he died after accidentally choking on food while having dinner on his patio.
Doulos, a longtime downriver resident, was born and raised in River Rouge. He was the co-owner of the Vault on First, a restaurant in downtown Wyandotte, along with his wife and Suzette Balaskas.
Bell-Doulos said her husband was known for his passion and love of the restaurant industry and food. He was also a big sports fan, especially for the University of Michigan, his wife said.
Doulos spent much of his time at the restaurant, especially in the kitchen, and was an avid cook.
“He loved it and it was his passion,”
she said. “He couldn’t wait to figure out what gourmet meal he was going to prepare me,” she said.
At the Vault, Bell-Doulos said her husband oversaw the kitchen staff. The restaurant employees nearly 30 people.
“He brought in new menu items and worked with the staff,” she said.
The Vault on First opened in 2021, bringing Doulos out of retirement after working 17 years for the Travel Centers of America. There, Doulos oversaw more than 250 of the centers’ restaurant operations.
Opening the Vault was full circle for Doulos. The restaurant is housed in a building that was once the National Bank of Wyandotte. Inside are nods to the former bank, including the original nighttime deposit box. It’s the same box that Doulos used to make deposits in when he worked at nearby businesses.
A history in local business
Doulos was well-known as one of the original co-owners, opening R.P. McMurphy’s in 1979 on Biddle in downtown Wyandotte. He also was a partner for a time in Lloyd’s Bar and Grill on Grosse Ile.
Peter Rose, a longtime friend, said that after retiring from Travel America, Doulos told him, "I think I got one more in me," and then he opened the Vault.
Rose, the third-generation owner of Chelsea Menswear, where Doulos once worked, and Willow Tree Fashions in downtown Wyandotte, said Doulos was focus-driven.
“Details mattered to him and getting things right was what really mattered to him,” Rose said.
Doulos worked at Chelsea Menswear for six years before opening R.P. McMurphy’s.
“My father hired him and never regretted it," Rose said. “We were sorry to lose him, but we were also really proud of him and happy that he helped build the restaurant.”
Rose also said Doulos was a supporter of local businesses because he himself was in the service industry.
“He was very respectable, cautious about the way he communicated, but let people know how he felt,” Rose said.
A fanatical music fan, Rose said he and Doulos shared a love of mostly the same genres.
"We had a good time talking about it because we lived through a very potent musical era, and we remember it very well,” he said.
Rose said Doulos’ opening of Vault restaurant set a new bar downriver.
“That caliber of restaurant is not unusual elsewhere outside of this area of Detroit, but a whole new thing for other restaurants to operate in. I think they did a beautiful job.”
Ron Thomas, who transformed and owns the former bank building that houses the Vault in downtown Wyandotte, said it was Rose who introduced Doulos to him about six years ago.
“He knew I wanted to put a restaurant in the building,” Thomas said. “He was leading the charge behind what that became.”
Thomas said the two became good friends. The Vault restaurant, Thomas said, would have never happened without his influence on the place and he cared about the quality of the product they served.
“The quality of that place is a reflection of the quality of the man who conceived it to begin with,” Thomas posted on social media.
Doulos is survived by his children, Stefan (Britany) Doulos, Nick (Lilly) Doulos and Carly Doulos, grandchildren Viktor Doulos, Veronika Doulos and Casra Doulos. He’s also survived by his sister Elaine Bell and brother Steve Doulos. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Alyson Doulos.
A late October memorial service is planned.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Owner of downriver restaurant Vault on First dies at 73
