Paul Andrew Dombalis

Paul was born on April 11, 1958, in Raleigh, to the late John Nicholas Dombalis and Floye Lee Dombalis.

Paul grew up in the Mordecai community and walked to nearby Emma Conn Elementary. He made many friends at Conn, Aycock, and Enloe and stayed in touch with some of them his entire life. Living a stone’s throw from his Yiayia and Papou influenced Paul’s life. He attended Greek School as a child and served as an altar boy at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Strong in his faith, Paul served as a chanter and was active in supporting the church youth.

Paul also dedicated himself to his community by carrying forward a legacy that began in 1930 when his grandparents Nick and Helen Dombalis opened the Mecca Luncheonette. He began helping at The Mecca working the dumbwaiter when he was just 11 years old. In high school, he considered pursuing another career, but ultimately realized that his heart belonged to the family restaurant. In 1978, he joined The Mecca full-time, embarking on what would become a 47-year career dedicated to serving others. Paul was a quick study and cherished the time spent learning ins and outs of the restaurant business from his father.

While his roles at The Mecca evolved over the decades – ultimately taking over leadership in 1990 – Paul’s dedication to his family and the downtown Raleigh customers was unwavering. In the kitchen, he introduced menu favorites, including the San Francisco chicken and lasagna. Paul respected the prominent figures who frequented The Mecca, but he treated the homeless person seeking a meal with the same degree of respect. Behind the counter, Paul greeted regulars and first-time customers alike as his family. Paul worked alongside his mother, Floye, who remained active in the restaurant into her nineties. In 2016, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance presented the Downtown Merchant Legacy Award to Paul and Floye.

In 2018, after nearly five decades, Paul retired from The Mecca and made his home in Kure Beach, allowing him time to focus on the job he loved most, Papou to grandsons Paul and Robert. He had a keen ability to recall sports stats and could make any sporting event exciting to watch. In retirement, Paul continued to root on his beloved Wolfpack, share his culinary talent with new friends, and adopted pets Mylo and Layla. His family is especially grateful for the love shown by his friends and neighbors along with the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church parish.

Paul’s legacy lives on in the countless meals shared at The Mecca, the genuine friendships formed across its lunch counter, and the enduring example he set through a lifetime of service and remarkable chapter in Raleigh’s history. His family is eternally grateful for his selflessness and devotion as he kept the restaurant running.

He was preceded in death by his father, John Nicholas Dombalis; mother, Floye Lee Dombalis; and brother Nicholas John Dombalis II.

He is survived by his son, John Paul Dombalis and wife, Leslie of Raleigh; and grandchildren Paul and Robert Dombalis, whom he loved deeply. He is also survived by sister, Mary Dombalis Winstead and husband Jeff of Raleigh; sister-in-law, Melissa Dombalis of Raleigh; aunts, Pauline Chakeres of Springfield, OH, Mary Dombalis of Richmond, VA, and Martha McLamb of Summerville, SC. He is also survived by many cousins, nieces, and nephews and their spouses and children who will miss him dearly.

The family will receive friends at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 5000 Lead Mine Rd., Raleigh, NC 27612 on Tuesday, June 23 from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm with a Trisagion service at 5:00 pm.

The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, June 24 at 11:00 am at the church. The funeral service will be live-streamed https://youtube.com/live/Jgg9Bt52JAk

Burial will follow at Historic Oakwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites memorial gifts to Holy Trinity's marble chanter's stand – a fitting tribute to Paul, who, like his grandfather before him, served faithfully as a chanter at Holy Trinity at https://abundant.co/holytrinityraleigh/interiors (Memo line: Paul Dombalis Chanter Stand) or to the Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Foundation at LifeCare.org who cared for him in his final days.

Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh is serving the Dombalis family.