Belgrade Gardens' Kosta Papich, who helped put Barberton chicken on the map, dies at 93

Kosta Papich, who with his wife helped build Belgrade Gardens in Barberton into a nationally known chicken establishment, died Jan. 20. He was 93 years old.

Papich immigrated to the U.S. in 1959 and brought with him a work ethic that he and his wife, Sophia, applied to the fried-chicken-themed restaurant when they took it over in the mid-1960s, said Papich's son, Milos Papich.

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The restaurant had been founded by Sophia's parents in 1933.

A difficult beginning

Papich's early life in the city of Novi Sad, Serbia, was a difficult one, his son said, but he never forgot his roots. His experience there helped develop the drive and discipline that drove his success later on in his adopted nation.

"My father grew up in a war-torn country, and he lost his father at 13," Milos Papich said. "He had vision, he had determination, and he had backbone."

Papich said his father didn't let the circumstances of his early life keep him from finding success in Northeast Ohio.

""He came to this country with two suitcases," his son said. "One with clothes and one full of books."

An engineer and a restaurateur

In addition to his leadership at Belgrade Gardens, Papich worked as an engineer at B.F. Goodrich. His time at Belgrade Gardens was interrupted by an assignment from the rubber company that sent him to Germany for two years in 1966.

"When my parents got back, they had to buckle down and work hard to revive the business," Milos Papich said.

On their return, Sophia and Kosta Papich hired key staff to grow business at the 300-seat restaurant.

"From that time, business really took off," he said.

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In a few years, Belgrade Gardens in Barberton was operating at capacity as more and more people became aware of "Barberton chicken."

"In the late '80s, we were maxed out," Milos Papich said.

The family opened a second restaurant, in Green, that operated successfully for 30 years before the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent labor shortages led to its closing, he said.

In the 1970s, Kosta Papich began investing in Florida real estate and in recent years split his time between the Sunshine State and his home in Bath.

Also in recent years, Milos Papich has taken over operations at the restaurant, with his dad as a frequent adviser.

"Even though my father wasn't physically able to come to the business because he was fighting Parkinson's (disease)… we were in constant communication," he said.

Remembering his roots

Although most people knew Kosta Papich from Belgrade Gardens, he was active with social organizations and the International Institute of Akron, where he was a board member and past president.

He helped raise funds for the completion of the Saint Sava Cathedral on Vracar in Belgrade in his native country and was celebrated in his home town after his passing.

"This past Sunday, his high school held for him a memorial in Novi Sad, Serbia," Milos Papich said. "They remembered him for all the things he did sponsoring students. He remembered how hard it was for him, who grew up as a kid without a father."

He was a past president for the Serbian Singing Federation of America.

Milos Papich said condolences for the family have come from Serbia, Canada and all over the U.S.

'He treated everyone the same'

Milos Papich said his father never let his financial and social success go to his head.

"My father was a deeply religious man," he said. "He lived his faith in the way he carried himself on a daily basis. … He treated everyone the same."

He set a standard that Milos Papich said will be difficult to follow.

"I'm proud to be his son, and I will do everything I can to live up to the legacy," Milos Papich said.

Calling hours will be Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church in Akron. Funeral services will be 9 a.m. Saturday at the church, with burial at Serbian Orthodox Monastery Marcha in Richfield.

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Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Belgrade Gardens icon Kosta Papich, dead at 93, created lasting legacy