Blending Style and Flavor: Silver Creek Collections & Coffee Greeks Bring Fashion, Art, and Greek-Inspired Coffee to Bastrop

Theo and Rebecca Syrpis make a great husband-wife team for their business at 1020 Main Street – Silver Creek Collections/Coffee Greeks. “Rebecca has a flair for fashion and choosing great clothes, handbags, hats, and jewelry that grab our customers’ attention,” Theo said. “And I have actually made use of my engineering background to finesse a superb cup of coffee for our coffee kiosk.” Theo spoke of his love of coffee while brewing up a batch at the popular kiosk at the back of Silver Creek. While the impressive selection of clothes, jewelry, art, and other decorative items are the main draw of the store, the Theo-brewed coffee – with locally sourced beans – along with Greek and American gluten-free pastries, are proving quite popular. A long sit-down dinner table offers customers the opportunity to get to know one another while sipping a brew.

Theo and His Coffee

“Growing up initially in the restaurant business and then converting over to the engineering world, I never thought I would have a passion to make a great cup of coffee,” Theo said. “The pleasure in brewing coffee is in getting it just right – boldness teamed with a smooth lasting flavor. It reminds me of being back in Greece, sitting at the kafenio (coffee bar) watching people drink their coffee, enjoying the moment and having some baklava, moussaka or feta with vegetables. It was a dream of mine to someday bring the same moments of pleasures to others.”

Rebecca’s Inspiration

Rebecca said she drew strong inspiration from Theo’s father, when it comes to competing in the business world. “My father-in-law – Konstantinos Syrpis – without making it look like he was trying, taught me how to believe in myself and my abilities to run a business,” Rebecca said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself running and growing a business as I am doing today. Konstantinos was a true beacon for that.” Theo explained the origin of the store’s name. “The name Coffee Greeks was suggested by my son Kosta,” Theo said. “He said, ‘Why don’t you bring your rich heritage and its flavors to the forefront?’” said Theo, whose family was rooted in Greece.

Store Artists

Theo cited several of Silver Creek’s featured artists who he says take the store to next level. “One of our great artisans is Sherri Deleon, who handcrafts exquisite wooden bowls and vases,” Theo said. “She lathes every item to perfection. Her merchandise competes with and surpasses some of the best lathe artists that I have seen in the market. Carol Lyons takes superb photographs and Nelda Martinez creates handcrafted-items such as pillows and tea towels, ensuring there is top quality in every stitch.” (Silver Creek also has a small kiosk store across the hallway in the R.A. Green Mercantile Building.)

A Strong Team

“The secret of our energy comes from seeing each other’s talent and passion,” Theo said of Rebecca. “The occasional smile, conversation and positive feedback from our customers – who we treat like guests – is the icing on the cake.” Theo also reflected on the charm of Bastrop. “Bastrop is a balance of a good old-fashion Texas small town,” Theo said. “The community maintains its rich heritage in our downtown neighborhoods and businesses, and there are the added little gems – the parks, river and culinary flavors available, just to name a few.”

Photos and Article By Terry Hagerty – Contributing Writer