Sitting on the edge of the popular tourist spot that is Central Athens, Pangrati is a district of small businesses that played a pivotal role in keeping the nation’s economy afloat in the years following Greece’s financial crisis of 2009. The experiences of these business owners offer a unique perspective of how severely the bailout crisis has affected the Greek economy, which has shown very little improvement in the past 10 years. Overwhelmed by austerity measures, including mass tax hikes and cuts in public spending, business owners are frustrated with the response of the both the Greek Parliament and European Union.

The eclectic artist is one of many Greeks who disagrees with the picture painted by the government and media outlets, choosing instead to believe that the crisis is a byproduct of corruption.

His dreams of creating the next national coffee chain with franchise locations across Greece quickly became a distant desire once the crisis happened.

Tapping into a niche market has its advantages and disadvantages, but the owner of this iconography shop has faith that his line of work will keep his tiny storefront around for years to come.

For this young entrepreneur, her current business struggles only encourage her to continue planning for the future of her clothing boutique.

This quaint coffee shop has been around for 55 years, but its owners have never seen greater economic turmoil than the crisis of 2009 that left them uncertain about the longevity of their business.