BOUNTIFUL—Perhaps Greg Skedros was best known as owner of one of the nation’s premier Chinese restaurants, Mandarin, but those who worked with him and knew him said there was so much more to the long-time Bountiful resident.

“He may have been in the restaurant business, but what he was really in was the people business,” said Bountiful Mayor Kendalyn Harris, who worked at Mandarin as a youth. “He was so loved and had so many friends.”

Skedros passed away on Jan. 27 at a local hospital. He was 93.

His story as to how a local businessman became a purveyor of Chinese cuisine is pretty well known. He owned a pharmacy on the corner next to the restaurant, which is located at 900 North 400 East. His daughter Angel Skedros Manfredini said her father had originally planned on opening a Greek-Italian restaurant at that location, but a partnership never happened. When a Chinese family moved to Bountiful at about the same time and befriended the Skedros family, the new plan developed.

“It was just happenstance,” Angel said in an interview with me a few years ago. “He had no knowledge or interest in Chinese food, but there was a need for a fine Chinese restaurant in Davis County and this family helped us in developing one. So the pieces fell into place.”

That was in 1977. Since that time, Mandarin has received awards from across the country, and was named among the Top 100 Chinese restaurants in America by Travel and Leisure.

“I knew Greg for 42 years,” said former Bountiful mayor Randy Lewis. “My medical lab was located next door to his pharmacy’s original location on Medical Drive. From the first time we met, he always made me feel like I was somebody special. Whenever Melanie and I went to Mandarin, he always came over to say hello and make sure everything was OK with our meal. He seemed to know everybody by name.”

Greg Skedros was always in the restaurant, even up to about three weeks before being hospitalized. Harris said he told her “it was important to visit with all of his guests. That tells you what kind of person he was.”

Outside of Mandarin, that kindness was also evident. He was active in the Bountiful Rotary Club, and 25 years ago, as club members were discussing a way to start the club’s famous Coats for Kids program, Skedros gave his wholehearted support.

“He wanted this to be done in such a manner that the children would not know that the coats didn’t come from their parents,” recalled Chris Simonsen, who has spearheaded the Coats for Kids program from the beginning. “We applied for a Rotary International grant to fund that first year – it was for $15,500 – and we weren’t sure we’d get it. Greg said if the grant didn’t come through, he would cover the cost himself. He has been a backbone of Coats for Kids since day one, helping us recruit restaurants for our food court. Whenever we called on Greg and asked for help, he was always there. He told me the secret to success in anything was to be there and be hands-on all the time.”

“Mandarin is an institution in the community,” said Beth Holbrook, a former Bountiful City council member. “He was always gracious, very family-oriented, and what a wonderful life he lived. He was so committed to the community. Commitment and family are synonymous with Greg Skedros.” 

Two years ago, the Bountiful City Council honored Skedros during a January council meeting. In a written tribute read to him that night, the council said “Gregory Skedros has given much to our community; employing hundreds of people, being a destination entity that brings people to our city from across the state, and continuing to add to the quality of life we enjoy in Bountiful.”

Funeral services are Friday, Feb. 4 at 11 a.m. at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Salt Lake City. The funeral is private for family only, but available via Zoom through The Greek Orthodox Church of SLC Facebook page or the church website at GOCSLC.com. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Salt Lake City. A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.