Kostas was born in Viniani, Evrytania to Dimitri and Fotini (Banias) Sanoulis. He has two brothers (George and John) and is the oldest of the three siblings. He served in the Greek military as a paratrooper in the Special Forces from 1973 to 1975, and attained the rank of Second Lieutenant. In 1972, his parents and two brothers immigrated to America and settled in Greenville, South Carolina. Upon completing his military duties, he immigrated to America in 1976. In 1977, he began operating the Pete's Drive-In Restaurant, and for over 19 years maintained it as a successful business. He has three children from a previous marriage: Dimitri, Nikos, and Fotini. In 2003, he married Donna Hendricks (born January 3rd, 1963), and they happily reside in Greenville, South Carolina.