Chicago Area Restaurant News and More
Posted by estiator at 2 December, at 09 : 23 AM Print
From Peter J Poulopoulos, MBA
Village Squire Restaurant
Village Squire Restaurant
480 Randall Rd
South Elgin, IL 60177
Owner: Bab Karas
I visited with Bob at Village Squire Restaurant in South Elgin, IL. Incidentally, Squire is a British term for a country landowner or gentleman; one can use squire to describe a refined and powerful man. Before anything else, please allow me to say that Bob, whom I have known for many years, is indeed a refined man and a gentleman. During out meeting I had the chance to meet and talk with his sister Despina, a true lady.
The founders of the Village Squire restaurants were two hard working people, Bob’s late father Paul and Paul’s brother George. And that was 50 years ago! Now, 50 years later, Bob is the head of the Karas Restaurant Group with: 7 Rookies Pubs, 4 Village Squire Restaurants, 2 Alexander’s Cafes, 1 Rookies Rochaus, 1 Old Republic Kitchen & bar and 2 brand new establishments scheduled to open in the very near future! What is the total? Seventeen!
Bob is a 1992 graduate of Northeastern Illinois University (NIU) where he earned a degree in Business. Some highlights and accomplishments of the Karas Restaurant Group are:
- The Village Squire Marks Half a Century of Joy and Hospitality. The Village Squire is in the heart of downtown West Dundee, IL and is celebrating a remarkable milestone, 50 years! Established in 1974 by immigrant brothers Paul and George Karas, this once dimly lit, old English Pub with a modest menu of nine items has grown into a Fox Valley institution known for good food, drinks, outdoor dining, and entertainment.
- Bob answered an interviewer’s question, how come the Kara Restaurant Group is so generous with the community: “I think it’s our family and the Greek hospitality. In Greece people are very welcoming to strangers, very community and like to make people feel connected. Especially in Greece, people that are in the same village feel closer than people 10 miles away on the edge of Greece. In America all the Greeks are connected that are here. There is a word that we talk about every now and then – philoxenia (philo – friend – xeno – stranger). The whole word together means friend of the stranger. You welcome someone into your home and that means a lot to our family. That is why in our restaurant we are welcoming to our customers. Like we are serving our own family. That is why we support our community, churches, baseball teams, little leagues, shelters, boys and girls club – He went on and on. We never say no to a gift card. If someone asks for a gift card donation, we always ask how many. We have never turned one down”.
- At another point of his interview, Bob answered another question regarding the path to success for himself and family. “After graduating from NIU, I began my career at Alexanders Cafe, eventually assuming ownership. Two years later, I purchased Rookies All American Sports Bar & Grill in St. Charles, IL, along with my brother-in-law Mike Maridis. Shortly after that, I built my first place from the ground up, with my sisters Eleni Karavasis & Despina Karas named The Village Squire in South Elgin. Then wanting to grow, I expanded the Rookies concept in Elgin, Hoffman, Huntley, Roselle, Geneva, Crystal Lake, and a second café, Alexanders in St. Charles, Rookies Rochaus a music venue and now about to open a new concept The Squire Ale House in Campton Hills. My cousin Nick Smith joined our group with Old Republic, a dynamic restaurant in Elgin with a huge patio & live music. Together we have formed The Karas Restaurant Group.”
Bob considers his kids the joy of his life; they are: Paul, 26, Twin Girls Effie and Christina, 23, Niko 20. Jayleen 18, and Bob 3. He believes that hard work, responsibility, being humble and helping others are the elements of his success and these are the values he communicates to his kids and all around him. In the picture, we see Bob with his sister Despina inside Village Squire in South Elgin, IL
304 W Army Trail Rd
Bloomingdale, IL 60108
Owner: George Lamberis, General Manager: Chris Karountzos
When we called the owner George Lamberis, to arrange for a meeting, he couldn’t have been more polite and cooperative. We have known George for many years, and he suggested that we visit his restaurant and speak with his General Manager Chris Karountzos. The following write up is a summary of my discussion with Chris whom I found to be very polite and knowledgeable of the restaurant business.
Both George and Chris have very interesting life experiences; here are some highlights. George is a young man in his fifties with much experience in the restaurant business. His college education was in accounting and worked in that field for restaurants and other food and liquor businesses. But his dream was be an owner himself. If we look at his web site, we can see that in December 1994, he and a partner purchased Red Wing Tavern & Grill in Oakbrook Terrace, IL and reopened as Anyway’s Chicago Restaurant & Pub, located at 5 E Roosevelt Rd Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, on February 13, 1995. The concept was to create a pub and restaurant similar to many of the establishments George would frequent in the north side neighborhoods of Chicago, which he felt the suburbs lacked. The idea for the name came from a local bar named ANY WAY in northern Greece where his family’s summer home was located.
George bought out his partner in August of 2000 and a year later embarked on a large remodeling project. The entire building was given a face lift, and outdoor beer garden was added, and the bar area was expanded to include a year-round porch. In March 2010 the second location opened in Bloomingdale, IL. George is married and he and his wife have two children: TJ 14 and Zoe 10.
As mentioned, George’s GM is Chris Karountzos. A man in his 40’s with outstanding experience. Since the age of 13 he felt that his calling was a life involving restaurants. He possesses extensive experience in restaurants after starting out as a dishwasher, pizza man in a Pizzeria, owner and investor in 3 fast food restaurants, and a GM for Applebee’s. He met George at an Applebee’s restaurant in 2005 and they exchanged business cards. In 2005 George reached out to him and the rest is history. George and Chris make an outstanding team based on complete trust and work ethic. George and his wife have two children: Christina 9 and Anatasia 12.
As you know, people often say that “the world is too small”. It so happened that Bob Karas of the Village Squire restaurant mentioned above, and Chris Karountzos have been very good friends for years. In fact, Chris and Bob’s sister Despina, serve in St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church’s Pericles Greek School Board. Bob as Chairman and Despina as Treasurer.
Personal Thoughts and Comments:
Why some people doubt others even when others tell them the truth?
When a person has difficulty accepting someone else’s truth, we say that this person is dubious, hesitant, indecisive, puzzled, skeptical, suspicious, tentative, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, unsettled, unsure. But why do people feel the need to doubt others?
Below are some of the reasons some people may struggle to believe others when they tell them the truth. If one researches the subject, people have theorized that some of the
reasons may have to do with:
Past Experiences: If someone has been deceived or misled before, they may develop skepticism and find it hard to trust others.
Cognitive Dissonance: When the truth contradicts a person’s beliefs or assumptions, they might reject it to avoid discomfort.
Confirmation Bias: People often seek information that confirms their existing views. If the truth doesn’t align with these views, they may dismiss it.
Emotional Responses: Strong emotions can cloud judgment. Fear, anger, or sadness can lead someone to reject the truth.
Social Influences: Group dynamics and peer pressure can cause individuals to doubt others, especially if their social circles hold different beliefs.
Communication Style: The way truth is presented matters. If someone feels the message is delivered poorly or with hostility, they may be less likely to accept it.
Human behavior is not easily understood or sufficiently explained. When people act a certain way, let’s remind ourselves that each person’s life experiences is unique. These experiences dictate how one deals with others. Understanding these factors can help us in navigating conversations about truth and trust. However, there is another reason people do not believe others even when others say the truth. Unfortunately, we need to mention the other reason but at the same tine we need to be careful how to present it. Well, let’s not sugarcoat it; some people do not believe other when others say the truth because these people do not say the truth. Because they, themselves, do not say the truth, they assume others do not say the truth either. Sad but true.
Note: If you would like to comment on this column, have any questions, or want to share news about your business, please call (773)743-2100, or email peterjp@realpoul.com.
