IN YEROSKIPOU Andreas Xenofontos has long been known as Mr Ricco after the beachside café he opened in 1975. The security the restaurant has provided is a far cry from an early life which was fraught with loss and physical pain.
Xenofontos was born in January 1947 in Yeroskipou. His father died when he was only two years old, and his mother struggled to bring up his sister and three brothers. He was sent to live with his grandfather, who he believed to be his father until he discovered otherwise at the age of 16.
His mother re-married a widower, who himself had four children, and the family grew even larger. Xenofontos attended school in Paphos, and when the Turks invaded Cyprus in 1974, he fought for the Cypriot National Guard.
Almost immediately, he was critically injured during the battle of Moutalos in Paphos, by a stray bullet. These bullets, known as ‘dum dum’ bullets, were created to inflict maximum damage and injury. They had a cross, scratched by hand, on the top, which would cause the bullet to break up into thousands of pieces on impact. In most cases they were lethal.
Xenofontos was shot in the head and rushed to Paphos general hospital. After working on him for two days, local doctors realised there was nothing they could do for him. He was then transferred to the British Bases where the British army doctors treated him. He stayed here for two months receiving treatment until he was released.
This injury caused many problems for Xenofontos, which remain today, including the paralysis of the left side of his face.
“Riccos is such an enormous part of my life, and it’s also my way of life, as it has been for the past 34 years. I have built up the business over the decades, and have made many friends who come back every year,” he said. “I can’t imagine not doing this anymore. I would be devastated. I would be lost.”
Before he fought in the war, Xenofontos was an arable farmer in Paphos and also had a number or trucks, which were used for transporting sand and other construction materials.
He met his wife, who is a member of the well-known Paphos family of Shikkis, when she was only 15 years old. Her parents were against their friendship because they wished her elder sister to marry first.
But the relationship blossomed, and the pair married at the beautiful five-domed church of Ayia Pareskevi church of Yeroskipou in 1972.The couple have three children. Their daughter is a beautician, whilst their two sons are in business together, supplying excavators and other machinery to the construction industry.
After his serious injury, Xenofontos said he was no longer able to perform the heavy duties which his work had entailed.
“As I was married with three children, I had to do something to support my family,” he said. “I had the idea to start Riccos beach, and I approached a soft drink company. They liked the idea and supplied me with a kiosk and a fridge, which was operated by a petrol generator. And I used to have to walk miles to get water,” he reminisced with a smile.
“‘The whole community is behind me keeping Riccos open,” said Xenofontos. “It’s not just the Cypriots, but also the thousands of tourists who come every year,” he claimed.
Paphos resident Mandy Leonidou agrees. “Ricco is a wonderful man who has established this landmark in Paphos. Too much of our past is being wiped out by bureaucracy and red tape,” she said.
“The fact of the matter is that Riccos beach is a magnate for visitors from across the globe who come back every year. It’s also a favourite with locals. I myself have been coming here for more than 25 years.”
She admitted that the place does need a bit of a facelift. “But this beach cafe is the essence of Cyprus. Families enjoy spending time here, and many couples have declared their love for each other on the beach.
“I urge everyone who cares about our way of life, to appeal to the government to keep Riccos beach here. It would be a shame to see it disappear, and who knows maybe it will be replaced by a concrete monstrosity in years to come.”
