Learning from Leaders
Posted by estiator at 8 August, at 14 : 11 PM Print
COVER STORY
At a tough time for our industry, leading lights share lessons.
By Michael Kaminer
It feels like this year has been two steps forward, three steps back. Just when we think we’ve emerged from Covid, our industry gets hit with soaring costs, a shrinking labor pool, and protracted supply-chain issues. But our community has never rolled over in challenging times. For generations, we’ve learned to adapt and thrive when times have been tough. With that in mind, we asked leaders across the country—and in Greece—for lessons they’ve learned about business, and who shared those lessons. We hope you’ll find their incredible stories and wisdom as inspiring and motivating as we do.
The most important lesson I have learned is two- fold: Be resilient in a very unpredictable world and treat the people who bring their all to the job well…very well. You want to keep those devoted staff members around and happy because ultimately they will make your life easier and your business better. My business is dependent on tourism, and tourism is dependent on the state of the world, which seems to be in ever more flux. I’ve had to go back and forth between brick-and-mortar and online to stay afloat, for example; on the human resources side, I have a great team and almost all the comments from our Ikaria cooking school guests—we give each person a questionnaire to help us assess our good and bad points—mention the great team of people who work with me. I guess in light of resilience and valuing good people, the ultimate lesson is to not be greedy! Hospitality is about a lot more than the bottom line. Your ultimate goal is to give people an experience that will become a great memory and that will multiply itself many times over.
Diane Kochilas
Chef, author, and consultant, dianekochilas.com
Creator and host, My Greek Table, PBS
Athens, Greece
When I was a young girl, my grandfather taught me many life lessons, one of which came when we were going to harvest our family’s black honey from our bee- hives at the top of the mountain. While we walked, he told me that bees could teach us many things because they work so hard and create an amazing product that benefits so many—they never stop, and never give up. As we made our way up the mountain, I would get tired and complain (as kids do), but my grandfather would tell me, “Come on, don’t give up now, we’re almost at the top!” He used the word almost to motivate me to continue to the top and achieve our goal—to harvest our rare black honey that no one else had. My reward? To taste the black honey first, before anyone else.
His simple statement about bees stuck with me, and I would often think about those words: “They never stop, and never give up.” My father was taught those same lessons by my grandfather (his father) and would share them with me, reinforcing the message.
My mentor, the famous actress, singer, activist, and politician Melina Mercouri, shared the same valuable lesson with me years later, and though the same, it resonated even more. No matter what hardship you face, no matter what obstacle is put in your path, you can achieve anything if you never stop and never give up.
Maria Loi
Executive Chef, Loi Estiatorio;
founder, Loi Brand
loibrand.com
Never become complacent. This was told to me by 77-year-old father, Theo Katechis, who has run our 105-year-old business for over half of its existence.
Costas “Gus” Katechis
Manager, Chris’ Hot Dogs, chrishotdogs.com
Montgomery, AL
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to always prepare for double the risk of any situation. In this industry, the likelihood of the “worst-case scenario” occurring is high.
Additionally, as the old saying goes, never let a crisis go to waste— remember to use downtime for house- keeping that productivity owners/operators rarely have time to do.
Andreas Koutsoudakis,
partner, KI Legal, kilegal.com
Owner, Marathi, marathinyc.com
New York City
The most important lesson that I ever learned was to treat everyone with respect. Making everyone feel like family was and continues to be a core value of my businesses. Being raised in a close- knit Greek household, I try to make everyone feel like family.
Another important lesson my mother instilled in me was to always work hard and remain humble. She never wanted my brothers and I to get a big head and lose focus, so it was always important to stay grounded. If there was ever a challenge, we knew to stay focused and determined to overcome them. We also always believed that better days are coming.
Demetri Tsolakis
Owner, Greco, grecotrulygreek.com
Krasi Meze + Wine, krasiboston.com
Hecate, hecatebar.com
Boston
Just like in sports, or any competitive environment, execution is the dynamic process of planning and preparation, practice and action, evaluation and correction, and then reaction—these elements determine the outcome of your performance. To be a great restaurant, you need to stay in front of the pack. Success requires an incredible amount of teamwork to achieve a great customer experience when opening a thriving new restaurant. That level of execution comes from countless hours and a commitment to raising the bar in the pursuit of perfection.
Bob Andersen
President, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, thegreatgreekgrill.com
My most important lesson I ever learned on my own is having the correct mindset. A mind with positivity and perseverance is a unstoppable force. That lesson was given to me by God.
Shane Pomajambo
Owner, Whino Restaurant & Art Gallery, whinova.com
Arlington, VA
Patience, communication, and focus on the few things you can control, and try to let go of any fear of the things you can’t.
You can control how you treat and communicate with your customers and staff. You can control the quality of menu items you produce.
If you can’t find the products you wish or are accustomed to, then you need to communicate that honestly to your customer base and quickly improvise to make your financial goals. Patience comes with experience and confidence in your restaurant; your experience will make you think clearly and pivot to the direction that will keep you financially afloat.
Phil Hobson
Cofounder, Our Mom Eugenia, ourmomeugenia.com
Fairfax and Great Falls, VA
The most important lesson I ever learned in business is that growth is impossible with- out a strong team. It takes a collection of smart, talented, dedicated people all working toward the same goal to grow a business. The Shanty in Wadsworth, Illinois, was able to expand due to our team.
Dimitri Kallianis
Chef and entrepreneur The Shanty, Wadsworth, IL,
theshantyrestaurant.com
Lonely Olive Tree Organics,
thelonelyolivetree.com
Embrace failure. That’s the hidden trick. Take risks. If you’re not exposed to failure, it means you didn’t take risks. People in our business need to learn from failure, which is not something we’re usually taught. Business is not a hockey stick. It doesn’t work in a straight line. It’s like a ball of yarn. You have to embrace failure and never quit.
Another key lesson is to never accept the status quo. I didn’t accept it when I started taking evening reservations at two diners that are huge successes. I didn’t accept the status quo when I did two of the biggest Covid leasing deals in New York—Times Square’s 25,000-square-foot Brooklyn Chop House, and the West Village’s 14,000-square-foot Pap- pas Taverna.
Even the menu at Pappas is going against the status quo. It’s the first Greek restaurant with a wood-burning oven. And using the Coravin wine system, we’re offering every single bottle by the glass, from $15 to $2,000. There’s another lesson for our industry—embrace technology. Not enough of us do.
Stratis Morfogen
Cofounder, Brooklyn Chop House, brooklynchophouse.com
Founder, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, brooklyndumplingshop.com
Author, Be a Disruptor: Streetwise Lessons for Entrepreneurs— from the Mob to Mandates (Skyhorse, June 2022)
New York City
The most important lesson I learned is that doing less is more, and in time adds up to much more that is meaningful. I have learned that doing small things with intention and mindfulness will always be more fulfilling emotionally and financially. The most important lesson I learned about running a business is that your team is your family. Treat them as such and it will pay back dividends and be much more rewarding for everyone.
Doug Psaltis
Chef/owner, Andros Taverna, androstaverna.com
Chicago
My most memorable lessons were taught by my father. First is the obvious and most clichéd, “Great service, cleanliness, and great food.” But in addition to that, to learn every day of my life and take advice rather than the “I know it all” approach. Our brain should constantly be a sponge for knowledge. Knowing too much is not as bad as knowing too little. I’ve learned to look to better the restaurants not only for myself and my family, but for my employees and communities that support us. This approach has helped our businesses fit best in town and in customers’ daily routine. Lastly, always do what is righteous, even if it will cost you more. Give to charity, be good to people, and be considerate of the environment. Considering all this through my career has found a way to reward me.
In regard to the challenges we currently face… I’ve always tried to look ahead and never look back! Bottom line is, to survive you must adjust and pivot in ways that will continue to support your business model. Challenges will always exist in our business. When supply chain issues, inflation, and labor issues hit, we needed to get creative in purchasing, efficiency in preparation, and menu planning. Train staff to be versatile to quickly adjust when that large order of shrimp or crab is shorted. Utilize resources that are at your hands when you have no choice. No matter what happens get it done. “The show must go on.” When it comes to inflation, we naturally need to raise our prices to cover the increase without getting greedy. We need to keep in mind that our customers also have less money to spend, and we need to continue to be a value for them to continue to come in.
Paul Tsiknakis
Owner, Marblehead Chowder House, Easton PA, marbleheadchowderhouse.com
Monarch Diner, Glassboro, NJ, monarchdinernj.com
Red Lion Diner, Southampton, NJ, redlionnj.com
Over the 22 years of owning Ted’s, we have learned that it is very important to be organized and stay abreast of all the needs of the restaurant. This could be with ordering supplies, employees, paying bills, or maintenance! If you don’t, this is when things can become stressful and chaotic. This wasn’t advice given, but a lesson learned over 22 years. Things work better staying organized!
Tasos Touloupis
Owner, Ted’s Restaurant, tedsbirmingham.com
Birmingham, AL
