Malvern, PA — Before Pete Papadopoulos became mayor of Malvern, some neighbors were already calling him one. The Greek-American owner of Malvern Pizza had spent years greeting customers, getting to know families, and becoming a familiar face around town.
“So I figured I might as well make it official,” he said.
Papadopoulos, 43, was sworn in on January 5, 2026, beginning a four-year term. He connects his decision to serve with philotimo, the Greek idea of giving back because you want to, not because you have to.
“You don’t have to give, you don’t have to show, but you want to do it,” he said.
His family’s connection to Malvern began with his father, Christos, who had previously operated Wayne Pizza. Drawn to the quieter town, Christos turned a former plumber’s workshop into Malvern Pizza, which opened on King Street in 1982.
Born in Drexel Hill, Papadopoulos moved with his family to Broomall before eventually settling in Malvern. Around 2005, he was living in the apartment above the pizza shop. He gradually took over the business after his father experienced health problems, and in 2011, the family purchased the building. His father has since retired.
Pizza was already a family business before Malvern Pizza opened. His maternal grandfather, Constantinos Sioutis, emigrated from Kerasochori in Epirus to Philadelphia in 1950. He later met Figalia Malitas in Worcester, Massachusetts. On Figalia’s side, relatives had escaped communist Albania, found refuge in Greece, and eventually settled in Worcester.
Sioutis and his brothers-in-law, the Malitas brothers, established the New England Pizza businesses, beginning in Upper Darby. Papadopoulos still meets customers who remember his grandfather serving them at the family’s earlier shops.
Both sides of his family have roots in Kerasochori, a mountain village in Epirus near the Albanian border. His grandfather helped establish the Philadelphia-area Kerasochori association, Αδελφότητα Κερασοχωριτών «Η Αγία Παρασκευή» Αμερικής, which Papadopoulos now serves as president.
He doesn’t get back to Greece as often as he would like, but he enjoys the quiet of the family home when he does.
“My parents’ generation came here and built businesses. I think our generation’s job is to take what they built and give back to the community.”
That sense of responsibility now extends to Borough Hall. As mayor, Papadopoulos supervises Malvern’s Police Department, while Borough Council sets municipal policy. He also wants residents to know they can approach him, even when a problem isn’t something he can solve himself.
“I think it’s important for people to know who their mayor is,” he said.
One unexpected pleasure has been officiating weddings. At the time of the interview, he had performed about ten ceremonies at Borough Hall, in local parks, and in private homes. One couple even exchanged vows in his office.
“To be the first one to congratulate someone on their marriage, and to have your signature on their certificate, I think it’s pretty cool,” he said.
Papadopoulos also has an interest in Malvern’s Revolutionary War history, particularly the Paoli Battlefield and adjoining Memorial Grounds, where soldiers killed in the September 1777 battle are buried.
“It means a lot to me, knowing those men sacrificed their lives for the future of our nation. I love walking there with my family.”
Among the projects Papadopoulos would like to advance is Patriots Path, a proposed connection between Malvern and the Chester Valley Trail. The plan predates his administration, and he said conversations with Chester County and neighboring municipalities have begun.
He also serves as an adviser to Malvern King Street Revitalization. He would like to see more variety among downtown businesses without losing the character of King Street.
He enjoys PorchFest, Christmas on King, and the fire company carnival. But he is just as fond of the everyday things: children playing in the park, families out walking, and neighbors stopping to say hello.
In 2013, Papadopoulos married his wife, a Greek American from Toledo, Ohio. They are raising three children in Malvern. Between the pizza shop, Borough Hall, and taking the children to their activities, there is little time left for an occasional round of golf.
Papadopoulos says he has no ambitions for higher political office.
“This is as west as I’ll go,” he said with a laugh. “I’m done moving.”