March 27, 2026 • 41 mins
Demetri Tsolakis, CEO of Xenia Greek Hospitality, reflected on a powerful, yet often forgotten idea: hospitality is not a transaction, but a human obligation. Drawing from the ancient Greek philosophy of philoxenia, Tsolakis described hospitality as the act of turning a stranger into a friend, an approach that shapes every decision across his restaurants.
The discussion also explored how this philosophy extends behind the scenes. Tsolakis shared his people-first approach to leadership, emphasizing personality over résumés, storytelling over scripts, and empowerment over micromanagement. By investing in education, trust, and creative freedom, he enables teams to act with ownership and authenticity.
As the interview made clear, hospitality done right is not only about speed, rules or efficiency; it is about emotion, connection, and care. In an increasingly transactional world, Tsolakis’s perspective offers a compelling reminder that the most memorable experiences begin with how people are made to feel.
The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration.
Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon
Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
What if hospitality wasn't just good service, but an
ancient sacred law, a duty toturn a stranger into a friend?
A guest today has built acelebrated restaurant empire on
that very idea.
Welcome back to theDistinguished Podcast, where we
learn from the leadersreimagining the world of
hospitality.
(00:26):
I'm Arunup Neja, Dean of BostonUniversity's School of
Hospitality Administration.
The visionary leader joining usis Dmitri Solakis, founder of
Signia Greek Hospitality.
He has created a portfolio ofconcepts, Krasi, Bravlaha,
Greco, and Kaya, that are morethan just restaurants.
(00:46):
They tell stories, celebrateculture, and invite people into
something more meaningful thanjust a meal.
No surprise, Condin has justnamed Kaya one of the best new
restaurants in the world.
Here at the School ofHospitality, we empower students
to engineer experiences that areboth innovative and memorable.
Dimitri doesn't just do thisbrilliantly and joyously in his
(01:09):
businesses.
He does this with passion as amember of our adjunct faculty.
Today we'll get into the mind ofa true cultural architect.
We'll talk about how to buildrestaurants that people want to
work in and return to, how toscale a brand without losing its
soul and hospitality done right.
It's a powerful tool forfostering human connections.
(01:31):
So let's get started.
Dimitri, welcome to theDistinguished Podcast.
Thank you for having me.
I'm excited to be here.
Fantastic.
I've been looking forward tothis conversation.
So, first let's talk about thename of the company.
So you've built your entirecompany on this ancient Greek
concept of zenia.
(01:51):
So most people understand thisas hospitality, but the
historical sources describe itas a sacred duty with divine
consequences.
So, how do you translate theweight and sanctity of that
ancient obligation into aconcrete trading program for the
21st century team member inBoston or DC?
SPEAKER_01 (02:14):
Definitely.
(02:44):
It's something you just feel.
And I felt it in my household,how my mom would open the door
to our neighbors or when someonemoved down the street from us.
You know, we were always reallyin tune to taking care of our
neighbors and not just ourfamily brothers and aunts and
(03:04):
uncles.
But we always had this mentalityto really take care of people,
make everyone feel welcomed.
If it was in our restaurants atthat time, in our household, you
know, on the block, you know,we've always had that.
And it's constantly somethingthat I'm always seeing in in
Greece and how you know thenomads and shepherds, you know,
from back in the day weretraveling village to village and
needed somewhere to stay.
(03:25):
And strangers were opening, youknow, this idea of strangers
now.
We were grown up saying, stayaway from strangers.
It's scary.
You know, don't talk to them.
You know, but in our culture,it's like we welcome strangers.
You know, a stranger turns intoa friend.
And it's something I constantlypreach in my restaurants because
you don't know who's coming intoyour restaurant.
A name on a reservation is justa name.
(03:47):
But once you dig into it, onceyou research it, once you look
into it a little bit more, youcan kind of see who's coming.
You kind of get a better feelfor it.
And then once you welcome them,because at that time you're both
strangers to each other, it'sthat icebreaking moment that
when you welcome them to yourinto your restaurant and how you
make them feel.
You know, for me, you know,hospitality, the the of ancient
(04:08):
Greek philosophy of philoxenia,turning a stranger into a
friend, it's really a techniquenow.
It's creating these experiences,creating these moments that make
people feel so at ease,especially in the world we live
in today, where it's kind oflike, I don't know what I'm
gonna wake up to, to go into arestaurant and just have that
calming feel.
You know, it's a beautifulthing.
(04:30):
So, in in what I try to do is Itry to go back to my childhood
and see what my mom always did.
I always looked up to my mom andsaw, you know, how someone who
struggled to speak English,someone who came here as an
immigrant, what did she do tomake people welcome her?
And I think it was a reverserule back then, back in the day.
So now I'm kind of taking that.
How can I welcome people?
(04:50):
And I think we forgot in societyhow to really welcome people.
And that's the mission of all myrestaurants, whether it be two
minutes in a Greco fast casualor an hour and a half to two
hours in one of my full servicerestaurants.
How do we welcome someone andhow do they leave feeling a
family?
Because that's the best feeling,especially coming out of
everything we just came throughsince the pandemic days and and
(05:10):
and so on.
So it became a mission, itbecame a purpose, and it became
a passion, you know, not justfor myself, but for my staff,
and it's something we're allcommonly united by.
It's this mission of turning astranger into a friend.
SPEAKER_00 (05:25):
Wow.
So you talk about um hospitalityas emotion, so you connect
people, but then it is also abusiness.
So how do you reconcile thosetwo concepts?
SPEAKER_01 (05:37):
I don't look at it as a business because I think
when you look at it as abusiness, you're kind of looking
at what you can get out of themor you you associate, you know,
when someone comes in withdollar signs, and we don't want
to do that.
You know, the hospitality weprovide, it's if you come in for
a dessert and a coffee, it's thesame feeling you're gonna get.
If you're coming to have a feastof the gods at Krusty, which is
(05:57):
uh everything on the menu atonce.
Uh, we really just want towelcome you and just not
associate with any price tag.
We're not a turn and burn style.
I think that mentality has youknow kind of swept swept away.
You really can't think of in andout anymore.
And a lot of restaurants builttheir models to be in and out,
and they're not around anymore.
(06:19):
You build your model onexperiences, you build your
models on how you can cater toguests.
You know, Ubers happen and theycome late.
You know, accidents, people andthe worst thing is before you go
to a restaurant, is haveanxiety.
You know, and a lot of peopleenter restaurants already a
mess.
Oh no, we're late, we're gonnawe're gonna miss our
reservation, they're gonnacharge us, or we don't have
(06:41):
time, only have two hours, it'scontracted.
It's a lot of negative emotionsbefore you go into a restaurant.
And what I try to do in mine istake those away.
It's the same thing when you gointo a hotel.
It's like when you check into ahotel, the first thing they say
to you is they remind you,you're leaving in two days.
It's like, okay, I didn't evenget here yet, so why are you
telling me when I'm leaving?
Right.
You know, you walk into arestaurant these days and it's
(07:01):
my biggest pet peeve.
I'll walk into any restaurantbefore I'm even greeted or said,
you know, hello, how are you?
It's do you have a reservation?
It's like you feel attackedwalking into a restaurant these
days.
So what we try to do is, youknow what, let's make it known
that we're working for ourguests.
We're really going to trywhatever.
So when you enter one of myestablishments, it's welcome
(07:21):
first.
Like as you're opening yourdoor.
Uh my restaurants, most of themdon't even have host stands.
You know, there's no blocking.
And when you want to walk intosomeone's house, there's no host
there, you know, the hosts aregreeting you, but there's
nothing blocking you.
You just walk in very casuallyand we just offer you, ask you,
you know, are you joining us fordinner or a drink at the bar?
You know, and kind of lead intoconversation first.
Because if you attack them witha question, it's already an
(07:42):
interrogation and it's not thatgreat feeling.
So when they walk in, you know,we'll we'll ask them, would you
like to join us for dinner for adrink at the bar today?
And if they say, uh, of course,yes, we'd love to, um, we follow
up with you have a reservation.
If they do, great, it's aguarantee seat.
If they do not, it's an arco.
We want to show them that we'regonna cater.
We'll do whatever we can to getthem in.
You know, if we have a tableavailable for an hour, we'll let
(08:03):
them know.
We do have reservation comingin, but we can definitely
accommodate you for an hour, orhow about the patio, or how
about the bar, or how aboutthis, or how about that?
Let them know that we're gonnatry our best to cater to them
and they don't need to havereservation.
They don't need to plan twomonths from now that they're
gonna be hungry on a Thursday atseven o'clock.
You know, I think a lot of workgoes into going out to dinner
these days that is not enjoyableanymore.
(08:24):
Most people come and say, I Iwaited too much for this
reservation.
By the time you get to that,you're you're let down.
You know, you no one should haveto wait to go out to a
restaurant.
I think, you know, a commodityis just going off the street.
A spontaneous, carefree eveningis walking into a restaurant and
being able to score two barseats or a table or whatever.
Dining out has just gotten sotransactional in the sense that
(08:46):
you have to make a reservation,you have to be on time, you have
to be out in 90 minutes.
There's so many rules that itstripped away hospitality.
And my group, we never want toset that in place.
We never want to have ruleswhere someone comes in and has
to know that they only have theyhave a time frame, that they
have to do this, they have to dothat.
It's just you don't enjoy it.
(09:07):
No, we wanted to make it morecarefree.
And I think what helps with meis my culture.
You know, when you go to Greece,it's you don't get pressured
with reservations.
You don't get pressured withtable time.
You can sit for four hours ifyou want.
Those are the best evenings.
You know, I think a lot ofpeople here are that I have to
be there, I have to finish mydad, I have to be there.
And there's too much of that, Ihave to, I have to, and not too
(09:28):
much, you know what?
Let's just go with the flow.
Let's just be a little morespontaneous, let's be a little
more carefree.
Let's just go in, and if wedon't get in tonight, we'll go
to the next restaurant.
I think it makes it more funthat you kind of attempt, you
know, to go out and you eat whenyou're hungry, not when a
reservation said you have to.
I've been so many places in theworld where I made a
reservation, I'm like, but youknow, I want to eat lunch at
four o'clock because I want totry this, but I have dinner at
(09:49):
seven, and it just becomes somuch in your head that you're
like, you don't enjoy anything.
You know, so I just likecarefree approaches, I like
spontaneous visits, and we tryto blend that into all our
concepts by always havingunreservable, you know, tables
and bar seats, you know, makingthings first come, first serve,
but really training our staffthat if somebody comes in and
they're not on a list oranything, to try our hardest to
(10:12):
get them in and what that means.
Again, if it's just for an hour,if it's telling them to come
back at a certain time, wereally try to get the to cater
to everyone.
So they see that in uh in us.
SPEAKER_00 (10:22):
Dimitri, now the problem I'm I'm thinking with
your response now is anyonelistening to this podcast, next
time they go to a restaurant andthe first interrogatory question
they be they're asked is, Do youhave a reservation?
And that's gonna throw me offcompletely.
So it should be just ruinedruined it for me for any
restaurant, which is gonna leadoff with that question.
SPEAKER_01 (10:43):
We shouldn't have to live by the law of reservations.
We should be able to go to arestaurant and have them see if
they can cater to us.
You know, I'm not saying a partyof 12 can just walk in, but if
you're just on a casual nightand you're like, I'm hungry,
let's go eat, you shouldn't sayI can't go there because I don't
have a restaurant, I can't gothere because I'm not gonna be
busy.
You should be able to walk inand just have a conversation.
That's the first part ofwelcoming a stranger.
It's just organic conversation.
(11:05):
And we're forgetting how to talkto humans.
Right.
For the longest time, I lovedcommunal tables because you talk
to a stranger.
Right.
Then the pandemic happened, youdon't want to sit anybody next
to you in case they sneeze.
You know, so it's kind of we'vegot to retrain ourselves.
What does it mean to go out andsocialize?
You know, and and what's greatabout our restaurants and the
food we serve and the culturethat I came up with is it's
(11:25):
always a party.
It's always social enjoyment offood and drink.
We drink to eat, we eat todrink.
You know, some famous, you know,uh philosopher Socrates, one of
them, Homer, one of them saidsomething with food is like
medicine and all this otherstuff.
Because it's true though.
Live to eat or eat to live.
Anyone, you know, anyone,anyone, you know, too much
garlic in Zatziki, don't speak.
So stuff like that.
(11:45):
Any anything out there that, youknow, comes from our culture, I
feel it and I see it.
And I took that and I said, youknow what, I'm gonna put this
into our restaurant, into ourvalues, into our morals, because
we need to let people know thatit's okay that you don't have a
reservation.
It's okay that you sit for threehours.
It's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (12:03):
So um I I want to sort of follow up on this a
little bit, the financial partof it.
But um, you mentioned something,Feast of Gods.
Is that really, truly a thing inany of your restaurants?
It is.
SPEAKER_01 (12:14):
At Crassi, we have one thing called the Feast of
the Gods, where we tell peoplesix or more parties or six or
more.
It's one of every dish on themenu, so you try everything.
Fantastic.
It's it's a it's a it's a gooddeal out there.
It's a good idea.
SPEAKER_00 (12:26):
It's gonna go there with a party of six.
Yes.
Hospitality is great, but you'vegot to still pay your staff,
you've got to pay the kitchen,you've got to pay the rent,
you've got to pay utility.
So how do you then balance thethe financial aspect?
How do you make how do you makethat a success?
SPEAKER_01 (12:42):
You know, and it's getting harder and harder every
day we wake up.
We're always faced withchallenges, but I think how we
get through it is is the passionwe have for the industry.
It's seeing how excited ourguests are to, you know, and
calling them just by the wordguests.
I'm sick of the word customers.
That's the transactional wordfor me.
When you hear customers outthere, it's like we're not
customers.
You know, you're not waiting inline, you're guests, you're
(13:03):
coming to our house, you'rewe're opening the doors.
But when you're building thesemodels in these restaurants, you
know, it's a risk.
You know, we sign our life away,we sign 20-year leases.
We gotta know, we gotta be openfor 20 years.
We gotta be able to keep staff,we gotta be able to pay rent, we
gotta be able to keep the lightson.
So you build these models, youknow.
For me, I I like smaller-sizedrestaurants.
Uh when you start having to makebig batched food, it's not for
(13:24):
me.
I like I like quality overquantity.
Um, so when we build theserestaurants, we know we do the
little forecast and we say,okay, we have 50 seats, you
know, the average guest, theaverage turn, how much they're
gonna spend, blah, blah, blah.
We do all that.
But I think more importantly, iswhen you open these restaurants,
it's how do you keep them full?
How do you keep them, you know,your staff busy?
(13:45):
Because you can hire a kitchenstaff, you can hire a front of
the house staff.
It's fine, but how are theygonna make money so they can
live?
If they live, I live.
That's how I look at it.
If my staff is making money, I'mmaking money, you know, for the
restaurant.
Uh so we're constantly,constantly being innovative.
What can we do to enhancehospitality?
What can we do to enhance thedining experience?
(14:05):
You know, going to the samerestaurant with the same menu
over and over, it gets kind ofboring.
You know, so constantly beingseasonal, constantly telling
stories on online, constantlydoing different things, and a
lot of times doing things out ofyour four walls because you can
only make so much money in yourfour walls.
So always being, you know, kindof innovative and saying, what
can we do outside of here tomake additional money, you know,
(14:25):
to bring on more staff to giveraises, do all that, because you
know, they they need to make aliving too.
It's not just us when we make aliving, you know, they need to,
they the staff needs to as well.
So we're constantly changingthings up, we're constantly
taking risks, we're constantlyhaving fun.
That's how I look at it.
You know, we we keep a smalllittle budget in our in our PN,
like five percent.
It's like, you know what, thisis the money we're just gonna go
out there and and and have funwith.
You know, if it's giving araging party for the staff, if
(14:48):
it's taking research trips, it'swhatever.
If it's buying our regularsevery 10th visit, something,
whatever it is, we're doingsomething, you know, to keep
people enticing, keep peoplecoming back and wanting to come
back.
I think the best thing aboutdoing this is isn't you and and
this guest friendship is reallycreating these neighborhood
spots that people want to visitnot once a month or once a year
(15:10):
for a birthday or anniversary,then maybe want to come by three
times a week or two times aweek.
You know, maybe once it's justfor a glass of wine at the bar
and a snack, but maybe one timeit's for a full dinner.
You know, you want to see thesepeople over and over.
Because when we say strangersbecome family, you want to see
your family more.
You don't want to see them asonce a year as a distant call, a
distant cousin.
You want to keep seeing them.
So we constantly breathe thatin.
(15:30):
Let's make these guests want tocome back.
SPEAKER_00 (15:33):
So fun and you mentioned fun.
Fun and finance.
I I don't I'm pretty sure youdid not learn the fun part in
when you were getting yourfinance education, right?
SPEAKER_01 (15:43):
Fun, you know, fun, you have to have fun doing it.
If you're too serious about it,it it's not enjoyable.
You know, and I think a lot ofpeople go in there saying you
again, back to the rules.
You have to do this.
You have to if once these rulesare in place, you know, you kind
of lose folks, you kind of lose,you know, the the fun and you
kind of lose the personality andthe character.
We're not scripted restaurants.
(16:03):
I don't tell my staff, go tothis table and say this.
Imagine being a robotic system,like these corporate restaurants
you go to.
We want our staff to bethemselves.
You know, we want our staff totell their story, tell their
interpretation.
We said in the opening script,reimagine.
It's such a beautiful thing togo in and reimagine things.
You know, we're not doing thefood my grandma was doing in
Greece.
We're reimagining it.
(16:24):
We can't do octopus eight hourson the outside break.
We can't.
We don't have time for eighthours.
No, so we we reimagine things.
We reimagine recipes, wereimagine service and
hospitality, we reimagineeverything, and we bring it up
to the modern society.
You know, and that's one greatthing about Greco, you know,
being a fast casual.
You want Greek food on the go,but you don't have two hours to
(16:45):
sit for dinner, go into Grecoand you'll have that experience
within seven to eight minutes.
You know, I think every culture,and we can talk about fast
casuals, but there's twocultures that I love.
I love Indian food and I loveEthiopian food.
And for me, it's two restaurantsthat have this image that you go
to an Indian restaurant, it'sgonna be a lunch buffet, or some
servers you won't understand andwill have the same menu.
But imagine that food beingapproachable to an American
(17:06):
person.
Imagine chicken tikka masalabeing translated.
Imagine, you know, some of thesewords being translated.
You want Americanizing so peopleunderstand.
So our biggest thing in ourrestaurant is we're doing is
we're educating.
You know, I don't expect someoneto come and say, I want a glass
of Xinomavro.
Like, what the hell?
Xinomavro?
You know, but if I know you likea certain red wine, I know you
like fruity, I know you likesubtle, I will take you on a
(17:28):
trip to Greece, I will take youto a region, and I'll say,
You're gonna drink Xinomavro,not Pinot Noir, but I know you
like Pinot Noir, but I'm gonnaget you something similar.
I know you like sauvignon blanc,but I'm gonna get you a círtico.
So imagine them leaving, andI'll say, you know what?
I just tried in a círtico fromGreece.
It's my new favorite grape.
You know, they leave feelingenriched.
And I think when you can go to arestaurant and find something so
unique, overall you just leave adifferent person, a happier
(17:52):
person, more educated person.
You leave a better person bygoing out to eat sometimes, you
know, and and you're just beingeducated on things that you may
not be able to try.
Not every person is gonna get togo to Greece.
SPEAKER_00 (18:03):
So do you so you've got to hire the right kind of
people.
If this if the servers have tobe their natural self and they
have to tell these stories, thenyou've got to hire the right
kind of staff, and then you'vegot to give them the right kind
of background and education,right?
SPEAKER_01 (18:17):
Easy.
When we interviewed, I don'teven do resumes, you know.
I think that's the worst thing.
You know, some people, when theygive you a resume, they just
tell you basically what they didresponsibilities, but who cares
what you did?
I want to know what you what youlearned, what you accomplished.
You know, even here teaching, Itell my students, I'm like,
don't list your responsibilitiesfor a job, dude.
We already know what those are.
We already know what a marketingmanager does.
We already know what uh thisposition does.
(18:38):
We want to know how youbenefited or what you did, what
you accomplished there.
So same thing when we interview,we're not interviewing with
based on resumes, we'reinterviewing on personality,
we're interviewing you know inperson and just asking questions
about life, asking questions ofwhere they where they came from,
you know, what excites them,what's their hobbies, where they
put their most energy into.
And if you realize where peopleare putting most of their energy
(18:58):
to, that's what they want to endup doing.
A lot of people say, I just lovebeing around people and telling
stories.
Well, you know what, you'regonna be a great server.
I I love wines, you're gonna bea great sommelier for us.
I love you know taking risks andrecipe, you're gonna be a great
chef for us.
You know, we kind of want to seewhat you enjoy in your daily
life and match a position foryou.
You're not applying to be aserver or host, you're applying,
you know, in hospitality and letus kind of pair the position for
(19:21):
you.
But we do give the education, wedo give the tools to succeed,
we're constantly spending money,you know, on training, you know,
whether bringing winemakers,rather doing tastings, you know,
we're constantly not one memberof my team will work at my
restaurants without trying thefull menu, tasting every wine.
You can't go to a table anddisgrace and you have an
(19:41):
experience.
The worst thing is I don't likesushi.
Have you ever tried it?
No.
Well, how do you know you don'tlike sushi if you haven't tried
it?
Or I don't like I don't likethis type of cuisine.
Have you tried it?
No.
Well, you don't know.
So we are we're always, alwaystasting, we're always telling my
story, you know, how I wanted toopen the restaurants, you know,
my vision.
And a lot of questions I do getfrom my personal staff is what
was your vision for this place?
And I said, you know what?
(20:02):
A little Greek boy, you know,who who grew up in the family
business, a restaurant, went tothe first booth after school,
didn't have any friends becauseI didn't have time to.
My family basically had childlabor.
They had me go to work at nineyears old serving sodas.
So I grew up in the restaurant.
It's in my blood.
It's it's my I'm passionateabout it because I was making
connections at an early age.
I saw how happy people werecoming to try ethnic food.
(20:25):
So I said, you know what?
That's the story I want you totell.
My upbringing, my trips toGreece, my family story.
Let's tell it out there.
You know, and people likestories, they're attracted to
stories.
You know, and the consumer thisday and age doesn't go out just
to eat anymore and consume.
They want to understand.
You know, many, many peoplethese days go out and they want
to hear a story.
They want to know the why.
And I think it's fascinating,you know, that you just don't go
(20:48):
in and order anymore.
You know, you can go in thereand see a menu with Greek words
on there and Greek wines andreally get educated on, you
know, because if you go toGreece right now, you're gonna
say, oh my god, it's blue andwhite, and I know the blue
beaches.
Well, you know what?
It's not.
It's 80% mountains in my in mycountry.
And I want to tell the storiesof the villages and the
mountains and the shepherds andthe and all that, and and find
foods that you wouldn't normallyfind.
(21:09):
You know, you all probably grewup eating lettuce on your Greek
salads.
It's not authentic.
You know, it's not it's nottrue.
You know, the pizza places, theGreek American ones, we're we're
not serving the most authentic,but I want to tell the stories
again, you know, of all that andtell more stories of Greece,
tell more stories of regions.
If Italian food could beregional, why can't Greek food
be regional?
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (21:26):
So one very interesting uh thing I learned
just now is um on a resume,don't list your
responsibilities.
List what you learned from that.
Because we kind of know ifyou're a server, you did all of
these things.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (21:39):
We know you rolled buckets, you rolled several, you
waited to get.
But tell me, you know what, howmany how your service elevated
the hospitality, how yourservice led to increased
reviews.
Let us know what youaccomplished.
That's what a resume stands out.
You know, resume doesn't standout if you just spit back to me
your your duties.
Well, how did you do at them?
Were you good at them?
Did you were you not good atthem?
But if you tell me That you'reyou know, a marketing person
(22:01):
goes in there and says, youknow, I did this, this, and
that.
Did it lead to many morefollowers?
Did you get a greater ROI?
So I'm always telling mystudents, and they come back
saying, Professor, it was thebest thing you ever taught me.
When I list my they feel moreaccomplished.
Wow, I did that.
I'm like, Yes, your resume isyou.
It's a roadmap of who you areand what you did.
Oh, tell people the success youhave.
Don't just tell us what you did,tell us what it led to.
(22:23):
And I think that's where a lotof people go wrong on resume.
When I look at them, if I don'tsee that, I don't I don't even I
don't even call them in.
SPEAKER_00 (22:29):
Yep.
So these are two things here.
One is what did you learn andwhat did you accomplish?
Don't just listresponsibilities.
Correct.
I think everyone listening,please uh take note of that.
I think that's very interesting.
SPEAKER_01 (22:40):
You stand up, you stand apart on a pack of a pack
of paper, pile of paper, theones that say, hey, here's what
I did and what it led to, you'vealready, you've already you sold
me.
SPEAKER_00 (22:50):
Okay.
So you talked about Greco, thefast casual uh restaurant.
So you've now generallyspeaking, you have many
different concepts, but Greco isthe one that you're trying to
now replicate.
And how many Grecos do you have?
And um how how did you how doyou think about scaling it?
And does it scale well?
I mean, is the soul of eachrestaurant, Greco, the same?
SPEAKER_01 (23:13):
Yeah, good question.
I think scalability is somethingwe as restaurant tours need to
look into more.
What's the purpose?
Why are you doing all this?
Why are you missing holidays,family events, and all this
stuff?
You know, what's the purpose?
Do you want to just sit there inyour restaurant and just serve,
serve, serve, serve, serve?
Or is there a financial goal?
Do you want to make it scalable,you know, to create a legacy?
You know, do you want to be thenext sweet greens, cavas out
(23:33):
there?
You know, the fast casual for mestarted because I wanted to make
Greek food approachable becauseeveryone had this certain, you
know, idea or mindset of whatGreek food was.
And I think any culture you goto or any foreign country, you
go into street food first.
You know, it's it's the bestapproach.
You know, you go to Mexico forthe tacos, you know, you go to
India for the curries orwherever country you're going
(23:55):
to, you're gonna always go tostreet food.
It's usually more affordable.
You know, it's usually somethingthat you can just go grab on the
go and enjoy a beautiful view orsunset with it.
So I did Greco to kind ofintroduce Greek food in an
approachable way for the societythat's constantly changing and
on the go.
You know, we wanted it to makeit where it could be
customizable.
Because I can't tell you youhave to eat this dish a certain
(24:17):
way.
Well, now there's a vegan,they're gluten-free, they're
cilia, there's all these peoplewith restrictions, you know,
halal.
You you want to cater toeveryone, and I think that's
what's beautiful abouthospitality, is that you can you
can change your men, you canchange your concept to make it
inclusive and cater to everyonebecause groups of friends now,
if you have that one personthat's not can't, it's not nice,
it's not fair.
You know, you want to cater toeveryone.
(24:38):
So when we did Greco, we saidwe're gonna build this
approachable concept that'sgonna be for the society on the
go.
You know, we're gonna always,always prioritize hospitality,
which you don't figure thatyou're gonna get in many of
these fast, casual, or fast foodtype of restaurants.
You know, we still want them tofeel connected to our staff.
You know, so you go into Greco,and if you only have a quick
lunch break, we still want togive you that service, but at a
(25:00):
much faster um pace.
So making the food approachable,you know, making it something
that could be copy-paste, so Ican make it a scalable business,
you know, having the same menu,having it consistent, you know,
is really, really important.
Right now with Greco, we're fivehere in Boston, well, one in the
suburbs in Burlington,Massachusetts, and we have one
in DC and one more opening inDC.
(25:21):
So seven locations between twostates, and the important thing
is to always have the soul ofthe place.
You have to be able to beblindfolded, thrown into
Georgetown, and wake up and say,Oh my God, I'm in Greco.
You know, you have to have thatcomforting feeling.
You know, I every Greco has to,for us, the same floor, the same
furniture, the same menu,because you you want that
feeling that you had in Bostonif you're in DC or vice versa.
(25:43):
But creating this copy andpaste, you know, after you you
do one or two, you have you havea model.
And that model for you after itbecomes, you know, one that you
can replicate.
And as soon as you'll be able todo that, you have a scalable
business.
You know, once you have thatscalable business, you have
something now to offer.
You know, for me, it's thegrowth investors.
So are you franchising?
Franchising is not on the agendaright now.
(26:04):
Right now, it's more forinstitutional investors to come
and say, you know what, we loveyour concept, we love your
brand.
You've proven that you're ableto copy and paste, you've proven
that you can operate in two twostates.
You know, let's push some moneyinto it and open many more.
If you're able to do it thisthis easily, you know, let's
let's let's put some money intoit and expand it.
And I think that's what'scomforting and and and beautiful
(26:25):
about Greco being a fast casual,that it can be in in Oklahoma
City versus to Greenland, whoknows?
You know, it could be anywhereand still have the same impact.
So a scalable business for mehas become a goal of mine, you
know, especially with a Greco,to make it one day that I can
exit from it and hopefully say,you know what, I create a legacy
and tell that story.
SPEAKER_00 (26:45):
So, how do you, if you're expanding and
particularly in differentstates, obviously uh the culture
in each state and each, in fact,um neighborhood where you're
operating is different.
So over time there will bedifferences in different Grecos
and how people are interactingwith each other.
But then how do you maintain thequality, the service standards
that you have, um, and some sortof semblance of a culture that,
(27:08):
you know, you go to one Grecoand you go to the next one, you
see something comforting.
Okay, this is something that Irecognize and I feel at home
with.
SPEAKER_01 (27:16):
It's contagious.
I think what we do in ourtraining is that passion, you
know, it's our purpose.
We go in there and we from thetop down, you know, it's a
contagious thing.
And we're very personalized, youknow, we're always in contact
with our managers, with ourfront-level staff.
You know, a lot of companieswon't even talk to their hourly
employees.
No, no, we know you.
We know your name, we know yourbirthday, we know everything
(27:38):
about you.
You know, we're constantly, um,constantly in contact with our
staff.
But with that, is we have greatsystems in place too.
And it's gotten easier over theyears with technology and a lot
of innovation out there that'skind of helped streamline our
processes and on our operations.
So it hasn't been that hard tocommunicate.
And and for us more, it's alwaysbeing present.
As owners, you don't want tohave a back seat, you don't want
(28:00):
to disappear.
You know, you you constantlywant to be in, I'll go in to the
restaurants and I'll put anapron and I'll work that line.
You know, I find most enjoymentwhen I do that.
And I think it's the respectwhen they see you do that.
It's like he's not the owner,he's not better than us.
I'm always, always play level.
We're always on the same field.
I think a lot of people, there'sa lot of looking down on where
we're just looking at each otherin this one.
(28:21):
And again, it has to be, youknow, the the the soul of the
business, you know, has to beconstantly being present.
You know, I think a lot ofowners are are are missing from
their businesses, and that's youcan tell that when you walk into
a restaurant.
Um, but like if you have goodsystems in place, you know,
procedures and all that, youknow, it's it gets easier for
me, and I don't know who's outthere listening, but uh it's
getting easier as I as I as I asI grow, as I I get older, you
(28:44):
know, and the beautiful thing isyou see others in your company
that are next in line that youcan constantly, you know,
promote within and constantly,you know, grow people.
You know, the beautiful thing ismentoring and educating now for
me, especially where I'm at andand in taking this teaching role
as well.
I constantly love the educationpiece.
I constantly love going to mystaff with something new, a
fresh idea, and including them.
(29:05):
You can't just force things onpeople.
You have to include, give themyour feedback.
What do you think?
When they feel when they'refeeling part of the team or part
of the decision-making process,you know, it you'll see how
heads turn.
It's it's literally for them aswell.
They act as owners and weconstantly preach that.
It's your restaurant, it's yourlocation, take it, act as the
(29:26):
owner.
SPEAKER_00 (29:27):
You know, um, Dimitri, the this was a question
I I remember asking you when wewere when you had, you know, we
somehow we approached you or youapproached us, or at some point
we were in a conversation, and Iheard about all the plans and
how many restaurants you run andall your plans for opening new
restaurants, and I was justamazed.
How are you gonna find time tocome and teach here?
(29:49):
And so you're constantly and youare so high energy, and and I
just, you know, it just bafflesme to this day.
How do you find time to teachand interact?
And every time we call on you,you're always there and ready to
engage, and you've got this anincredible business running.
SPEAKER_01 (30:05):
It's actually the rewarding part of my job, I
think.
You know, when I can come inhere and teach what I'm doing
and give 90 to 100 students inmy classroom relevant
information and you know, here,this is me, this is how I did
it.
And have students then come upto you and say, Wow, or just
wanting to learn more and youknow, being firsthand knowledge
(30:26):
for them, because I thinkthere's such a big misconception
of hospitality out there, and itdrives me nuts when someone's
gonna pay so much money to go toschool and they think they're
gonna be a restaurant manager ora front desk person at a hotel.
I'm like, that's not it.
We're in the industry ofexperiences, we're in the
industry to create.
Take your favorite perfume.
How would you create anexperience based on that?
Take the laundromat, how are yougonna create an experience?
(30:47):
We fix problems.
If you're a problem solver, thisis the best industry for you.
So when I come into thisclassroom, I'm also engaging in
conversation.
You know, a lot of students havegiven me the best ideas through
conversation.
You know, I should be able togive some students some profits
from GRECO.
I had some amazing ideas, butwhen you can do a case study
(31:07):
with your team and say, hey,this is what I created, you're
all eating in fast casuals.
Let's let's debrief, let's talkabout what you see, what we're
doing wrong, and you know, howyou can make it better.
And I had students, you know,give me the best ideas, you
know, who really led to mycompany.
You know, I had one student, um,he was from Japan, and he was
like, Professor, you know, inJapan, you know, we you know we
(31:28):
eat a certain way, you know, wehave chopsticks, but my American
friends, when they come to visitme, I send them a YouTube video
on how to eat with chopsticks.
He goes, but when I went to yourrestaurant and had it had a
Yito, I took it out of the bagand ate it with a fork and
knife, and everybody was lookingat me.
He goes, You should create avideo on how to eat a Yito.
So my napkin now at therestaurant is instructions on
how to eat a Yiro, comically.
It's fun.
The same student then told me,you know what?
(31:49):
Also, when I ordered Greco, itwas I I you guys staple the bags
and I scratched my hand and Iwas bleeding, and then the
staple went in the food.
You should put a sticker, likethis we did in Japan, with a QR
code linking you to your appdownloads.
I did that and my app downloadsliterally went on fire.
My QR code for every takeoutbag, it says like fresh Greek
inside or something in Greekinside.
(32:10):
You scan it before you open thebag, you can download the app
for$5 off.
This student literally got metriple downloads.
Unfortunately, he he he droppedmy class.
He had to go back home forunfortunate reasons, but you
know, um, a student like that.
That's the the mentality I liketo see, how you solve problems,
and I think people don'tassociate that with hospitality,
and it is.
(32:30):
That's your career inhospitality.
It's not a front desk at ahotel.
Fine to do if you that's whatyou want to do, but there's so
much more behind the scenes inhospitality, how to create these
amazing experiences, and notjust you know financially, but
just to get some ROI inmarketing, to get some you know,
people you know having theseexperiences out there, you know,
traveling or whatever it is.
You know, there's just so much,I think, misconception of what
(32:51):
hospitality is, and I'm here toreally clear that.
You know, I want students toknow that it's my day isn't
going you know every day andbeing a chef, or which I'm not a
chef, you know, I hire them.
That's not my day.
My day is really how am I gonnastructure an experience?
How am I going to invite guests?
How am I going to make so manypeople happy today?
And once I'm able to do that, Iget so many students, you know
(33:12):
what?
I'm now majoring in hospitalitybecause they didn't know.
They didn't know.
I think the word hospitality isassociated to just an industry
where your opening remarks wereit's not.
It's it's a law, it's a culture,you know, it's a philosophy.
I think that's what we'reteaching in this school.
That's why I love being herebecause I'm able to have these
discussions with students andkind of say, you know what,
you're wrong about that.
It's it's a misconception ofhospitality.
(33:32):
Here's what it is, and we talkabout it, and it just opens many
more doors to many moreconversations.
And I'm actually learning, Ithink, more from that the
students than they are for me.
It's just a great, you know,database to have of, you know,
it's it's it's a market, it's ademographic.
College students are out therespending their money, you know.
So, how do you tap into theirminds?
And you have to kind of thepsychology behind it.
So it's been very, veryinteresting.
(33:52):
And in the end, it's just beensuper rewarding to have
conversations with thesestudents.
SPEAKER_00 (33:56):
You're running so many restaurants, you're opening
so many new, and you're stillengaging with the school, coming
and teaching here, and all theother aspects that we ask you to
engage with, and you are veryhappy to do your here for the
podcast as well.
So, how do you uh delegateresponsibility to restaurant
managers where it keeps you awayand independent?
(34:17):
So obviously, you're doingsomething right in terms of uh
training your managers andhaving them take over so much
that you are free to walkaround.
SPEAKER_01 (34:26):
You have to.
They would get bored withoutthat.
You know, you you empower themto make decisions on their own.
If you the reason why I leftinvestment banking in the
corporate world, I never wasable to make my own decision.
I've always had to get approval.
I always had to wait.
And I don't want my managersdoing that, I don't want my team
doing that.
I want them to be me when I'mnot there.
That's why they're there.
(34:47):
You know, if I'm just having amanager to do, again, the resume
responsibilities, I don't needthat.
You know, I need someone who'sgonna go above and beyond
responsibilities.
I need someone who's gonna makedecisions.
Don't just say the problem, findthe solution.
You know, do your own magic.
You know, we breed our team tokind of be on the sense that
they are owners, they are theiroperators, they can do what they
want, you know, in the sense,obviously, you're not saying
(35:07):
give everything away for free,but within the means of the
restaurant, go out there.
Don't make a mistake.
We learn from it too.
You know, we empower so much inour company that we're not
checking in, we're notmicromanaging.
You know, the reviews say it,you know, the numbers say it.
Numbers don't lie.
You know, all the stuff that weneed to see to kind of to gauge
and see how the restaurant'sdoing, they're there for us.
(35:28):
But what I can't see is how mymanager is gonna interact.
That's on them.
You know, and I want to empowerthem to say, you, you know what,
go out there, be yourself.
You have all the tools you need,you know how to make people's
days.
That's all we're here.
We're here to put smiles onfaces.
And it's simple.
And and that's what I lovedoing, and and and mentoring on
that.
And constantly, how do weenhance this?
You know, hospitality doesn'tstop there.
(35:48):
You know, everybody can say,okay, we can give a free
dessert, that's hospitality.
And it's not.
You know, I think that's what,oh my god, I get something for
free.
No, it's not that.
It's that feeling that youleave.
If you can wake up the next dayand say, Oh my god, I had an
amazing night, how many nightscan you say that?
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (36:02):
Okay.
Um, so what advice would yougive to aspiring hospitality,
young husb aspiring hospitalityprofessionals?
SPEAKER_01 (36:11):
I I love that question because I we do it in
my in my class too, and I I lovethe final project, which is
basically the innovationcompetition, is it these ideas?
My advice is be authentic.
You know, there's so manyresources out there, like AI and
Chat GBT, that's just giving youthe wrong information.
It's not you.
Once you're authentic, once youcome up with an idea, once you
come up with something byyourself, you know, when you're
(36:33):
out there in the field, youdon't have chat GBT doing your
work, but you it has to be you.
We become so reliant on thisnon-human thing that's spitting
up information that's you don'tknow how to do deal with it
after.
No, the biggest thing I I telleverybody and and I I see in my
servers and in my bartenders isto be authentic.
Authenticity.
That's something that can't bereplicated.
You know, if someone else isgiving information, that's
(36:55):
that's copying.
You know, it's great to beinspired by things, it's great
to you know have thatinspiration, but you need to
interpret that, you need toreimagine that, you know, and
being authentic is probably themost important thing.
You know, when you go out therein the workforce, you know, no
one's gonna do your work.
You have to you have to show up,you have to perform.
You can only do that by beingauthentic.
You know, I think it's the it'sthe only advice these days.
(37:16):
I'm constantly asked thatquestion, but I go back and
back, but you know what, just betruthful to yourself, be an
authentic person.
I think that's that that goesthe longest way.
My concepts, they're allauthentic concepts.
I don't go out there and copy,and I don't go chat GPT, give me
a new great concept.
There's something you have tofeel.
So by being authentic out there,you're you're you're showing up,
you're being your best self.
SPEAKER_00 (37:34):
Fantastic.
Um, I think um uh we have a setof questions, um, just so that
very quick answers a word, aphrase, or a couple of
sentences, rapid fire, uh nooverthinking.
Um I I I feel that we already, Ithink everyone listening, kind
of has a very good sense of whoyou are, but still I have these
questions.
So, what's one hospitality trendthat you think needs to go now?
(37:59):
We are done with it.
SPEAKER_01 (38:00):
AI.
AI for me it has to be AI.
Chat boxes, you know.
I that's not hospitality.
Scripted is is not.
You know, I need the human touchwill never go away.
SPEAKER_00 (38:10):
Yep.
For our world, it's it's veryimportant.
Um where is your one favoriteplace to get away?
SPEAKER_01 (38:16):
Believe it or not, Greece.
Greece.
Greece.
I just go back and I'mconstantly refreshed, I'm
constantly uh inspired, I'mconstantly learning.
I don't think we have enoughtime in the world to learn.
You know, I'm so learning, I'mrediscovering every time I'm in
Greece.
I love it.
Do you read books?
You have your favorite book?
I read a lot of mythology, Greekmythology.
Okay.
Still, a lot of Greek mythology.
SPEAKER_00 (38:35):
It's all Greek here.
All Greek TV.
Um, do you watch TV?
Uh rarely.
Rarely, okay.
Rarely.
Any particular program you'rewatching?
SPEAKER_01 (38:43):
Travel on Greece.
No kidding.
No, I I do, you know, for me,uh, Netflix is a Netflix and
chill.
I'm on that bandwagon.
That's a good trend.
Netflix and chill.
Uh I'm I'm focused when I watchNetflix.
Whatever, whatever's trending,whatever show that people are
talking about, I have to jump onand watch.
SPEAKER_00 (38:58):
What is the one must-place visit in Boston?
SPEAKER_01 (39:02):
That's a hard question.
You know, there's for me, I'm avery, very simple, you know,
sweatpants and shorts kind ofguy.
I don't even like attempting todress up to go out to dinner.
You know, I like ethnic spots.
You know, I I'm a big fan likeof Blue Nile and JP for great
Ethiopian food.
I anywhere I can walk to, so Igo out and back bay a lot.
But sometimes friends do make medress up and go out.
(39:23):
I do love Mu, Moo Steakhouse outin the Fort Point area.
But mostly I'm eating ethnicfood.
Um, things I can't Google andmake at home.
Mahaniam for great Thai food outin in Brookline.
Um, just any any little ethnicany ethnic spa.
SPEAKER_00 (39:38):
Fantastic.
Uh Dimitri, I really, reallyenjoyed our conversation.
Thank you so much for visitingus and everything you do for
sure.
Engaging with us, teaching ourstudents.
So really appreciated your uhcomments on the podcast.
Thank you.
My pleasure.
Dimitri, thank you for offeringsuch an insightful and
(39:58):
energizing lens on what it takesto build restaurants and careers
with intention, authenticity,and joy.
To our listeners, whether you'reopening your first concept,
leading a growing brand, orsimply someone who loves going
out to enjoy great food andgreat company.
This conversation is a reminderthat hospitality is a way to
(40:20):
design meaningful experiences.
Join us next time on theDistinguished Podcast as we
continue learning from leaderswho are reshaping hospitality
from the inside out.
If you want to join theconversation and share your
thoughts and suggestions, emailme at sardine at BU.edu.
That is s-a den at BU.edu.
(40:43):
This episode was produced byMara Littman, marketing by
Rachel Hamlin, audio video byJason Jose of Okun Media.
To keep up with DistinguishedPodcast, be sure to subscribe
wherever you listen to yourfavorite podcast.
To learn more about experienceinnovation in our programs,
visit bu.edu slash hospitality.
(41:06):
I'm Arundupneja, in a BU Schoolof Hospitality, wishing you a
great day.
What if hospitality wasn't just good service, but an
ancient sacred law, a duty toturn a stranger into a friend?
A guest today has built acelebrated restaurant empire on
that very idea.
Welcome back to theDistinguished Podcast, where we
learn from the leadersreimagining the world of
hospitality.
(00:26):
I'm Arunup Neja, Dean of BostonUniversity's School of
Hospitality Administration.
The visionary leader joining usis Dmitri Solakis, founder of
Signia Greek Hospitality.
He has created a portfolio ofconcepts, Krasi, Bravlaha,
Greco, and Kaya, that are morethan just restaurants.
(00:46):
They tell stories, celebrateculture, and invite people into
something more meaningful thanjust a meal.
No surprise, Condin has justnamed Kaya one of the best new
restaurants in the world.
Here at the School ofHospitality, we empower students
to engineer experiences that areboth innovative and memorable.
Dimitri doesn't just do thisbrilliantly and joyously in his
(01:09):
businesses.
He does this with passion as amember of our adjunct faculty.
Today we'll get into the mind ofa true cultural architect.
We'll talk about how to buildrestaurants that people want to
work in and return to, how toscale a brand without losing its
soul and hospitality done right.
It's a powerful tool forfostering human connections.
(01:31):
So let's get started.
Dimitri, welcome to theDistinguished Podcast.
Thank you for having me.
I'm excited to be here.
Fantastic.
I've been looking forward tothis conversation.
So, first let's talk about thename of the company.
So you've built your entirecompany on this ancient Greek
concept of zenia.
(01:51):
So most people understand thisas hospitality, but the
historical sources describe itas a sacred duty with divine
consequences.
So, how do you translate theweight and sanctity of that
ancient obligation into aconcrete trading program for the
21st century team member inBoston or DC?
SPEAKER_01 (02:14):
Definitely.
(02:44):
It's something you just feel.
And I felt it in my household,how my mom would open the door
to our neighbors or when someonemoved down the street from us.
You know, we were always reallyin tune to taking care of our
neighbors and not just ourfamily brothers and aunts and
(03:04):
uncles.
But we always had this mentalityto really take care of people,
make everyone feel welcomed.
If it was in our restaurants atthat time, in our household, you
know, on the block, you know,we've always had that.
And it's constantly somethingthat I'm always seeing in in
Greece and how you know thenomads and shepherds, you know,
from back in the day weretraveling village to village and
needed somewhere to stay.
(03:25):
And strangers were opening, youknow, this idea of strangers
now.
We were grown up saying, stayaway from strangers.
It's scary.
You know, don't talk to them.
You know, but in our culture,it's like we welcome strangers.
You know, a stranger turns intoa friend.
And it's something I constantlypreach in my restaurants because
you don't know who's coming intoyour restaurant.
A name on a reservation is justa name.
(03:47):
But once you dig into it, onceyou research it, once you look
into it a little bit more, youcan kind of see who's coming.
You kind of get a better feelfor it.
And then once you welcome them,because at that time you're both
strangers to each other, it'sthat icebreaking moment that
when you welcome them to yourinto your restaurant and how you
make them feel.
You know, for me, you know,hospitality, the the of ancient
(04:08):
Greek philosophy of philoxenia,turning a stranger into a
friend, it's really a techniquenow.
It's creating these experiences,creating these moments that make
people feel so at ease,especially in the world we live
in today, where it's kind oflike, I don't know what I'm
gonna wake up to, to go into arestaurant and just have that
calming feel.
You know, it's a beautifulthing.
(04:30):
So, in in what I try to do is Itry to go back to my childhood
and see what my mom always did.
I always looked up to my mom andsaw, you know, how someone who
struggled to speak English,someone who came here as an
immigrant, what did she do tomake people welcome her?
And I think it was a reverserule back then, back in the day.
So now I'm kind of taking that.
How can I welcome people?
(04:50):
And I think we forgot in societyhow to really welcome people.
And that's the mission of all myrestaurants, whether it be two
minutes in a Greco fast casualor an hour and a half to two
hours in one of my full servicerestaurants.
How do we welcome someone andhow do they leave feeling a
family?
Because that's the best feeling,especially coming out of
everything we just came throughsince the pandemic days and and
(05:10):
and so on.
So it became a mission, itbecame a purpose, and it became
a passion, you know, not justfor myself, but for my staff,
and it's something we're allcommonly united by.
It's this mission of turning astranger into a friend.
SPEAKER_00 (05:25):
Wow.
So you talk about um hospitalityas emotion, so you connect
people, but then it is also abusiness.
So how do you reconcile thosetwo concepts?
SPEAKER_01 (05:37):
I don't look at it as a business because I think
when you look at it as abusiness, you're kind of looking
at what you can get out of themor you you associate, you know,
when someone comes in withdollar signs, and we don't want
to do that.
You know, the hospitality weprovide, it's if you come in for
a dessert and a coffee, it's thesame feeling you're gonna get.
If you're coming to have a feastof the gods at Krusty, which is
(05:57):
uh everything on the menu atonce.
Uh, we really just want towelcome you and just not
associate with any price tag.
We're not a turn and burn style.
I think that mentality has youknow kind of swept swept away.
You really can't think of in andout anymore.
And a lot of restaurants builttheir models to be in and out,
and they're not around anymore.
(06:19):
You build your model onexperiences, you build your
models on how you can cater toguests.
You know, Ubers happen and theycome late.
You know, accidents, people andthe worst thing is before you go
to a restaurant, is haveanxiety.
You know, and a lot of peopleenter restaurants already a
mess.
Oh no, we're late, we're gonnawe're gonna miss our
reservation, they're gonnacharge us, or we don't have
(06:41):
time, only have two hours, it'scontracted.
It's a lot of negative emotionsbefore you go into a restaurant.
And what I try to do in mine istake those away.
It's the same thing when you gointo a hotel.
It's like when you check into ahotel, the first thing they say
to you is they remind you,you're leaving in two days.
It's like, okay, I didn't evenget here yet, so why are you
telling me when I'm leaving?
Right.
You know, you walk into arestaurant these days and it's
(07:01):
my biggest pet peeve.
I'll walk into any restaurantbefore I'm even greeted or said,
you know, hello, how are you?
It's do you have a reservation?
It's like you feel attackedwalking into a restaurant these
days.
So what we try to do is, youknow what, let's make it known
that we're working for ourguests.
We're really going to trywhatever.
So when you enter one of myestablishments, it's welcome
(07:21):
first.
Like as you're opening yourdoor.
Uh my restaurants, most of themdon't even have host stands.
You know, there's no blocking.
And when you want to walk intosomeone's house, there's no host
there, you know, the hosts aregreeting you, but there's
nothing blocking you.
You just walk in very casuallyand we just offer you, ask you,
you know, are you joining us fordinner or a drink at the bar?
You know, and kind of lead intoconversation first.
Because if you attack them witha question, it's already an
(07:42):
interrogation and it's not thatgreat feeling.
So when they walk in, you know,we'll we'll ask them, would you
like to join us for dinner for adrink at the bar today?
And if they say, uh, of course,yes, we'd love to, um, we follow
up with you have a reservation.
If they do, great, it's aguarantee seat.
If they do not, it's an arco.
We want to show them that we'regonna cater.
We'll do whatever we can to getthem in.
You know, if we have a tableavailable for an hour, we'll let
(08:03):
them know.
We do have reservation comingin, but we can definitely
accommodate you for an hour, orhow about the patio, or how
about the bar, or how aboutthis, or how about that?
Let them know that we're gonnatry our best to cater to them
and they don't need to havereservation.
They don't need to plan twomonths from now that they're
gonna be hungry on a Thursday atseven o'clock.
You know, I think a lot of workgoes into going out to dinner
these days that is not enjoyableanymore.
(08:24):
Most people come and say, I Iwaited too much for this
reservation.
By the time you get to that,you're you're let down.
You know, you no one should haveto wait to go out to a
restaurant.
I think, you know, a commodityis just going off the street.
A spontaneous, carefree eveningis walking into a restaurant and
being able to score two barseats or a table or whatever.
Dining out has just gotten sotransactional in the sense that
(08:46):
you have to make a reservation,you have to be on time, you have
to be out in 90 minutes.
There's so many rules that itstripped away hospitality.
And my group, we never want toset that in place.
We never want to have ruleswhere someone comes in and has
to know that they only have theyhave a time frame, that they
have to do this, they have to dothat.
It's just you don't enjoy it.
(09:07):
No, we wanted to make it morecarefree.
And I think what helps with meis my culture.
You know, when you go to Greece,it's you don't get pressured
with reservations.
You don't get pressured withtable time.
You can sit for four hours ifyou want.
Those are the best evenings.
You know, I think a lot ofpeople here are that I have to
be there, I have to finish mydad, I have to be there.
And there's too much of that, Ihave to, I have to, and not too
(09:28):
much, you know what?
Let's just go with the flow.
Let's just be a little morespontaneous, let's be a little
more carefree.
Let's just go in, and if wedon't get in tonight, we'll go
to the next restaurant.
I think it makes it more funthat you kind of attempt, you
know, to go out and you eat whenyou're hungry, not when a
reservation said you have to.
I've been so many places in theworld where I made a
reservation, I'm like, but youknow, I want to eat lunch at
four o'clock because I want totry this, but I have dinner at
(09:49):
seven, and it just becomes somuch in your head that you're
like, you don't enjoy anything.
You know, so I just likecarefree approaches, I like
spontaneous visits, and we tryto blend that into all our
concepts by always havingunreservable, you know, tables
and bar seats, you know, makingthings first come, first serve,
but really training our staffthat if somebody comes in and
they're not on a list oranything, to try our hardest to
(10:12):
get them in and what that means.
Again, if it's just for an hour,if it's telling them to come
back at a certain time, wereally try to get the to cater
to everyone.
So they see that in uh in us.
SPEAKER_00 (10:22):
Dimitri, now the problem I'm I'm thinking with
your response now is anyonelistening to this podcast, next
time they go to a restaurant andthe first interrogatory question
they be they're asked is, Do youhave a reservation?
And that's gonna throw me offcompletely.
So it should be just ruinedruined it for me for any
restaurant, which is gonna leadoff with that question.
SPEAKER_01 (10:43):
We shouldn't have to live by the law of reservations.
We should be able to go to arestaurant and have them see if
they can cater to us.
You know, I'm not saying a partyof 12 can just walk in, but if
you're just on a casual nightand you're like, I'm hungry,
let's go eat, you shouldn't sayI can't go there because I don't
have a restaurant, I can't gothere because I'm not gonna be
busy.
You should be able to walk inand just have a conversation.
That's the first part ofwelcoming a stranger.
It's just organic conversation.
(11:05):
And we're forgetting how to talkto humans.
Right.
For the longest time, I lovedcommunal tables because you talk
to a stranger.
Right.
Then the pandemic happened, youdon't want to sit anybody next
to you in case they sneeze.
You know, so it's kind of we'vegot to retrain ourselves.
What does it mean to go out andsocialize?
You know, and and what's greatabout our restaurants and the
food we serve and the culturethat I came up with is it's
(11:25):
always a party.
It's always social enjoyment offood and drink.
We drink to eat, we eat todrink.
You know, some famous, you know,uh philosopher Socrates, one of
them, Homer, one of them saidsomething with food is like
medicine and all this otherstuff.
Because it's true though.
Live to eat or eat to live.
Anyone, you know, anyone,anyone, you know, too much
garlic in Zatziki, don't speak.
So stuff like that.
(11:45):
Any anything out there that, youknow, comes from our culture, I
feel it and I see it.
And I took that and I said, youknow what, I'm gonna put this
into our restaurant, into ourvalues, into our morals, because
we need to let people know thatit's okay that you don't have a
reservation.
It's okay that you sit for threehours.
It's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (12:03):
So um I I want to sort of follow up on this a
little bit, the financial partof it.
But um, you mentioned something,Feast of Gods.
Is that really, truly a thing inany of your restaurants?
It is.
SPEAKER_01 (12:14):
At Crassi, we have one thing called the Feast of
the Gods, where we tell peoplesix or more parties or six or
more.
It's one of every dish on themenu, so you try everything.
Fantastic.
It's it's a it's a it's a gooddeal out there.
It's a good idea.
SPEAKER_00 (12:26):
It's gonna go there with a party of six.
Yes.
Hospitality is great, but you'vegot to still pay your staff,
you've got to pay the kitchen,you've got to pay the rent,
you've got to pay utility.
So how do you then balance thethe financial aspect?
How do you make how do you makethat a success?
SPEAKER_01 (12:42):
You know, and it's getting harder and harder every
day we wake up.
We're always faced withchallenges, but I think how we
get through it is is the passionwe have for the industry.
It's seeing how excited ourguests are to, you know, and
calling them just by the wordguests.
I'm sick of the word customers.
That's the transactional wordfor me.
When you hear customers outthere, it's like we're not
customers.
You know, you're not waiting inline, you're guests, you're
(13:03):
coming to our house, you'rewe're opening the doors.
But when you're building thesemodels in these restaurants, you
know, it's a risk.
You know, we sign our life away,we sign 20-year leases.
We gotta know, we gotta be openfor 20 years.
We gotta be able to keep staff,we gotta be able to pay rent, we
gotta be able to keep the lightson.
So you build these models, youknow.
For me, I I like smaller-sizedrestaurants.
Uh when you start having to makebig batched food, it's not for
(13:24):
me.
I like I like quality overquantity.
Um, so when we build theserestaurants, we know we do the
little forecast and we say,okay, we have 50 seats, you
know, the average guest, theaverage turn, how much they're
gonna spend, blah, blah, blah.
We do all that.
But I think more importantly, iswhen you open these restaurants,
it's how do you keep them full?
How do you keep them, you know,your staff busy?
(13:45):
Because you can hire a kitchenstaff, you can hire a front of
the house staff.
It's fine, but how are theygonna make money so they can
live?
If they live, I live.
That's how I look at it.
If my staff is making money, I'mmaking money, you know, for the
restaurant.
Uh so we're constantly,constantly being innovative.
What can we do to enhancehospitality?
What can we do to enhance thedining experience?
(14:05):
You know, going to the samerestaurant with the same menu
over and over, it gets kind ofboring.
You know, so constantly beingseasonal, constantly telling
stories on online, constantlydoing different things, and a
lot of times doing things out ofyour four walls because you can
only make so much money in yourfour walls.
So always being, you know, kindof innovative and saying, what
can we do outside of here tomake additional money, you know,
(14:25):
to bring on more staff to giveraises, do all that, because you
know, they they need to make aliving too.
It's not just us when we make aliving, you know, they need to,
they the staff needs to as well.
So we're constantly changingthings up, we're constantly
taking risks, we're constantlyhaving fun.
That's how I look at it.
You know, we we keep a smalllittle budget in our in our PN,
like five percent.
It's like, you know what, thisis the money we're just gonna go
out there and and and have funwith.
You know, if it's giving araging party for the staff, if
(14:48):
it's taking research trips, it'swhatever.
If it's buying our regularsevery 10th visit, something,
whatever it is, we're doingsomething, you know, to keep
people enticing, keep peoplecoming back and wanting to come
back.
I think the best thing aboutdoing this is isn't you and and
this guest friendship is reallycreating these neighborhood
spots that people want to visitnot once a month or once a year
(15:10):
for a birthday or anniversary,then maybe want to come by three
times a week or two times aweek.
You know, maybe once it's justfor a glass of wine at the bar
and a snack, but maybe one timeit's for a full dinner.
You know, you want to see thesepeople over and over.
Because when we say strangersbecome family, you want to see
your family more.
You don't want to see them asonce a year as a distant call, a
distant cousin.
You want to keep seeing them.
So we constantly breathe thatin.
(15:30):
Let's make these guests want tocome back.
SPEAKER_00 (15:33):
So fun and you mentioned fun.
Fun and finance.
I I don't I'm pretty sure youdid not learn the fun part in
when you were getting yourfinance education, right?
SPEAKER_01 (15:43):
Fun, you know, fun, you have to have fun doing it.
If you're too serious about it,it it's not enjoyable.
You know, and I think a lot ofpeople go in there saying you
again, back to the rules.
You have to do this.
You have to if once these rulesare in place, you know, you kind
of lose folks, you kind of lose,you know, the the fun and you
kind of lose the personality andthe character.
We're not scripted restaurants.
(16:03):
I don't tell my staff, go tothis table and say this.
Imagine being a robotic system,like these corporate restaurants
you go to.
We want our staff to bethemselves.
You know, we want our staff totell their story, tell their
interpretation.
We said in the opening script,reimagine.
It's such a beautiful thing togo in and reimagine things.
You know, we're not doing thefood my grandma was doing in
Greece.
We're reimagining it.
(16:24):
We can't do octopus eight hourson the outside break.
We can't.
We don't have time for eighthours.
No, so we we reimagine things.
We reimagine recipes, wereimagine service and
hospitality, we reimagineeverything, and we bring it up
to the modern society.
You know, and that's one greatthing about Greco, you know,
being a fast casual.
You want Greek food on the go,but you don't have two hours to
(16:45):
sit for dinner, go into Grecoand you'll have that experience
within seven to eight minutes.
You know, I think every culture,and we can talk about fast
casuals, but there's twocultures that I love.
I love Indian food and I loveEthiopian food.
And for me, it's two restaurantsthat have this image that you go
to an Indian restaurant, it'sgonna be a lunch buffet, or some
servers you won't understand andwill have the same menu.
But imagine that food beingapproachable to an American
(17:06):
person.
Imagine chicken tikka masalabeing translated.
Imagine, you know, some of thesewords being translated.
You want Americanizing so peopleunderstand.
So our biggest thing in ourrestaurant is we're doing is
we're educating.
You know, I don't expect someoneto come and say, I want a glass
of Xinomavro.
Like, what the hell?
Xinomavro?
You know, but if I know you likea certain red wine, I know you
like fruity, I know you likesubtle, I will take you on a
(17:28):
trip to Greece, I will take youto a region, and I'll say,
You're gonna drink Xinomavro,not Pinot Noir, but I know you
like Pinot Noir, but I'm gonnaget you something similar.
I know you like sauvignon blanc,but I'm gonna get you a círtico.
So imagine them leaving, andI'll say, you know what?
I just tried in a círtico fromGreece.
It's my new favorite grape.
You know, they leave feelingenriched.
And I think when you can go to arestaurant and find something so
unique, overall you just leave adifferent person, a happier
(17:52):
person, more educated person.
You leave a better person bygoing out to eat sometimes, you
know, and and you're just beingeducated on things that you may
not be able to try.
Not every person is gonna get togo to Greece.
SPEAKER_00 (18:03):
So do you so you've got to hire the right kind of
people.
If this if the servers have tobe their natural self and they
have to tell these stories, thenyou've got to hire the right
kind of staff, and then you'vegot to give them the right kind
of background and education,right?
SPEAKER_01 (18:17):
Easy.
When we interviewed, I don'teven do resumes, you know.
I think that's the worst thing.
You know, some people, when theygive you a resume, they just
tell you basically what they didresponsibilities, but who cares
what you did?
I want to know what you what youlearned, what you accomplished.
You know, even here teaching, Itell my students, I'm like,
don't list your responsibilitiesfor a job, dude.
We already know what those are.
We already know what a marketingmanager does.
We already know what uh thisposition does.
(18:38):
We want to know how youbenefited or what you did, what
you accomplished there.
So same thing when we interview,we're not interviewing with
based on resumes, we'reinterviewing on personality,
we're interviewing you know inperson and just asking questions
about life, asking questions ofwhere they where they came from,
you know, what excites them,what's their hobbies, where they
put their most energy into.
And if you realize where peopleare putting most of their energy
(18:58):
to, that's what they want to endup doing.
A lot of people say, I just lovebeing around people and telling
stories.
Well, you know what, you'regonna be a great server.
I I love wines, you're gonna bea great sommelier for us.
I love you know taking risks andrecipe, you're gonna be a great
chef for us.
You know, we kind of want to seewhat you enjoy in your daily
life and match a position foryou.
You're not applying to be aserver or host, you're applying,
you know, in hospitality and letus kind of pair the position for
(19:21):
you.
But we do give the education, wedo give the tools to succeed,
we're constantly spending money,you know, on training, you know,
whether bringing winemakers,rather doing tastings, you know,
we're constantly not one memberof my team will work at my
restaurants without trying thefull menu, tasting every wine.
You can't go to a table anddisgrace and you have an
(19:41):
experience.
The worst thing is I don't likesushi.
Have you ever tried it?
No.
Well, how do you know you don'tlike sushi if you haven't tried
it?
Or I don't like I don't likethis type of cuisine.
Have you tried it?
No.
Well, you don't know.
So we are we're always, alwaystasting, we're always telling my
story, you know, how I wanted toopen the restaurants, you know,
my vision.
And a lot of questions I do getfrom my personal staff is what
was your vision for this place?
And I said, you know what?
(20:02):
A little Greek boy, you know,who who grew up in the family
business, a restaurant, went tothe first booth after school,
didn't have any friends becauseI didn't have time to.
My family basically had childlabor.
They had me go to work at nineyears old serving sodas.
So I grew up in the restaurant.
It's in my blood.
It's it's my I'm passionateabout it because I was making
connections at an early age.
I saw how happy people werecoming to try ethnic food.
(20:25):
So I said, you know what?
That's the story I want you totell.
My upbringing, my trips toGreece, my family story.
Let's tell it out there.
You know, and people likestories, they're attracted to
stories.
You know, and the consumer thisday and age doesn't go out just
to eat anymore and consume.
They want to understand.
You know, many, many peoplethese days go out and they want
to hear a story.
They want to know the why.
And I think it's fascinating,you know, that you just don't go
(20:48):
in and order anymore.
You know, you can go in thereand see a menu with Greek words
on there and Greek wines andreally get educated on, you
know, because if you go toGreece right now, you're gonna
say, oh my god, it's blue andwhite, and I know the blue
beaches.
Well, you know what?
It's not.
It's 80% mountains in my in mycountry.
And I want to tell the storiesof the villages and the
mountains and the shepherds andthe and all that, and and find
foods that you wouldn't normallyfind.
(21:09):
You know, you all probably grewup eating lettuce on your Greek
salads.
It's not authentic.
You know, it's not it's nottrue.
You know, the pizza places, theGreek American ones, we're we're
not serving the most authentic,but I want to tell the stories
again, you know, of all that andtell more stories of Greece,
tell more stories of regions.
If Italian food could beregional, why can't Greek food
be regional?
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (21:26):
So one very interesting uh thing I learned
just now is um on a resume,don't list your
responsibilities.
List what you learned from that.
Because we kind of know ifyou're a server, you did all of
these things.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (21:39):
We know you rolled buckets, you rolled several, you
waited to get.
But tell me, you know what, howmany how your service elevated
the hospitality, how yourservice led to increased
reviews.
Let us know what youaccomplished.
That's what a resume stands out.
You know, resume doesn't standout if you just spit back to me
your your duties.
Well, how did you do at them?
Were you good at them?
Did you were you not good atthem?
But if you tell me That you'reyou know, a marketing person
(22:01):
goes in there and says, youknow, I did this, this, and
that.
Did it lead to many morefollowers?
Did you get a greater ROI?
So I'm always telling mystudents, and they come back
saying, Professor, it was thebest thing you ever taught me.
When I list my they feel moreaccomplished.
Wow, I did that.
I'm like, Yes, your resume isyou.
It's a roadmap of who you areand what you did.
Oh, tell people the success youhave.
Don't just tell us what you did,tell us what it led to.
(22:23):
And I think that's where a lotof people go wrong on resume.
When I look at them, if I don'tsee that, I don't I don't even I
don't even call them in.
SPEAKER_00 (22:29):
Yep.
So these are two things here.
One is what did you learn andwhat did you accomplish?
Don't just listresponsibilities.
Correct.
I think everyone listening,please uh take note of that.
I think that's very interesting.
SPEAKER_01 (22:40):
You stand up, you stand apart on a pack of a pack
of paper, pile of paper, theones that say, hey, here's what
I did and what it led to, you'vealready, you've already you sold
me.
SPEAKER_00 (22:50):
Okay.
So you talked about Greco, thefast casual uh restaurant.
So you've now generallyspeaking, you have many
different concepts, but Greco isthe one that you're trying to
now replicate.
And how many Grecos do you have?
And um how how did you how doyou think about scaling it?
And does it scale well?
I mean, is the soul of eachrestaurant, Greco, the same?
SPEAKER_01 (23:13):
Yeah, good question.
I think scalability is somethingwe as restaurant tours need to
look into more.
What's the purpose?
Why are you doing all this?
Why are you missing holidays,family events, and all this
stuff?
You know, what's the purpose?
Do you want to just sit there inyour restaurant and just serve,
serve, serve, serve, serve?
Or is there a financial goal?
Do you want to make it scalable,you know, to create a legacy?
You know, do you want to be thenext sweet greens, cavas out
(23:33):
there?
You know, the fast casual for mestarted because I wanted to make
Greek food approachable becauseeveryone had this certain, you
know, idea or mindset of whatGreek food was.
And I think any culture you goto or any foreign country, you
go into street food first.
You know, it's it's the bestapproach.
You know, you go to Mexico forthe tacos, you know, you go to
India for the curries orwherever country you're going
(23:55):
to, you're gonna always go tostreet food.
It's usually more affordable.
You know, it's usually somethingthat you can just go grab on the
go and enjoy a beautiful view orsunset with it.
So I did Greco to kind ofintroduce Greek food in an
approachable way for the societythat's constantly changing and
on the go.
You know, we wanted it to makeit where it could be
customizable.
Because I can't tell you youhave to eat this dish a certain
(24:17):
way.
Well, now there's a vegan,they're gluten-free, they're
cilia, there's all these peoplewith restrictions, you know,
halal.
You you want to cater toeveryone, and I think that's
what's beautiful abouthospitality, is that you can you
can change your men, you canchange your concept to make it
inclusive and cater to everyonebecause groups of friends now,
if you have that one personthat's not can't, it's not nice,
it's not fair.
You know, you want to cater toeveryone.
(24:38):
So when we did Greco, we saidwe're gonna build this
approachable concept that'sgonna be for the society on the
go.
You know, we're gonna always,always prioritize hospitality,
which you don't figure thatyou're gonna get in many of
these fast, casual, or fast foodtype of restaurants.
You know, we still want them tofeel connected to our staff.
You know, so you go into Greco,and if you only have a quick
lunch break, we still want togive you that service, but at a
(25:00):
much faster um pace.
So making the food approachable,you know, making it something
that could be copy-paste, so Ican make it a scalable business,
you know, having the same menu,having it consistent, you know,
is really, really important.
Right now with Greco, we're fivehere in Boston, well, one in the
suburbs in Burlington,Massachusetts, and we have one
in DC and one more opening inDC.
(25:21):
So seven locations between twostates, and the important thing
is to always have the soul ofthe place.
You have to be able to beblindfolded, thrown into
Georgetown, and wake up and say,Oh my God, I'm in Greco.
You know, you have to have thatcomforting feeling.
You know, I every Greco has to,for us, the same floor, the same
furniture, the same menu,because you you want that
feeling that you had in Bostonif you're in DC or vice versa.
(25:43):
But creating this copy andpaste, you know, after you you
do one or two, you have you havea model.
And that model for you after itbecomes, you know, one that you
can replicate.
And as soon as you'll be able todo that, you have a scalable
business.
You know, once you have thatscalable business, you have
something now to offer.
You know, for me, it's thegrowth investors.
So are you franchising?
Franchising is not on the agendaright now.
(26:04):
Right now, it's more forinstitutional investors to come
and say, you know what, we loveyour concept, we love your
brand.
You've proven that you're ableto copy and paste, you've proven
that you can operate in two twostates.
You know, let's push some moneyinto it and open many more.
If you're able to do it thisthis easily, you know, let's
let's let's put some money intoit and expand it.
And I think that's what'scomforting and and and beautiful
(26:25):
about Greco being a fast casual,that it can be in in Oklahoma
City versus to Greenland, whoknows?
You know, it could be anywhereand still have the same impact.
So a scalable business for mehas become a goal of mine, you
know, especially with a Greco,to make it one day that I can
exit from it and hopefully say,you know what, I create a legacy
and tell that story.
SPEAKER_00 (26:45):
So, how do you, if you're expanding and
particularly in differentstates, obviously uh the culture
in each state and each, in fact,um neighborhood where you're
operating is different.
So over time there will bedifferences in different Grecos
and how people are interactingwith each other.
But then how do you maintain thequality, the service standards
that you have, um, and some sortof semblance of a culture that,
(27:08):
you know, you go to one Grecoand you go to the next one, you
see something comforting.
Okay, this is something that Irecognize and I feel at home
with.
SPEAKER_01 (27:16):
It's contagious.
I think what we do in ourtraining is that passion, you
know, it's our purpose.
We go in there and we from thetop down, you know, it's a
contagious thing.
And we're very personalized, youknow, we're always in contact
with our managers, with ourfront-level staff.
You know, a lot of companieswon't even talk to their hourly
employees.
No, no, we know you.
We know your name, we know yourbirthday, we know everything
(27:38):
about you.
You know, we're constantly, um,constantly in contact with our
staff.
But with that, is we have greatsystems in place too.
And it's gotten easier over theyears with technology and a lot
of innovation out there that'skind of helped streamline our
processes and on our operations.
So it hasn't been that hard tocommunicate.
And and for us more, it's alwaysbeing present.
As owners, you don't want tohave a back seat, you don't want
(28:00):
to disappear.
You know, you you constantlywant to be in, I'll go in to the
restaurants and I'll put anapron and I'll work that line.
You know, I find most enjoymentwhen I do that.
And I think it's the respectwhen they see you do that.
It's like he's not the owner,he's not better than us.
I'm always, always play level.
We're always on the same field.
I think a lot of people, there'sa lot of looking down on where
we're just looking at each otherin this one.
(28:21):
And again, it has to be, youknow, the the the soul of the
business, you know, has to beconstantly being present.
You know, I think a lot ofowners are are are missing from
their businesses, and that's youcan tell that when you walk into
a restaurant.
Um, but like if you have goodsystems in place, you know,
procedures and all that, youknow, it's it gets easier for
me, and I don't know who's outthere listening, but uh it's
getting easier as I as I as I asI grow, as I I get older, you
(28:44):
know, and the beautiful thing isyou see others in your company
that are next in line that youcan constantly, you know,
promote within and constantly,you know, grow people.
You know, the beautiful thing ismentoring and educating now for
me, especially where I'm at andand in taking this teaching role
as well.
I constantly love the educationpiece.
I constantly love going to mystaff with something new, a
fresh idea, and including them.
(29:05):
You can't just force things onpeople.
You have to include, give themyour feedback.
What do you think?
When they feel when they'refeeling part of the team or part
of the decision-making process,you know, it you'll see how
heads turn.
It's it's literally for them aswell.
They act as owners and weconstantly preach that.
It's your restaurant, it's yourlocation, take it, act as the
(29:26):
owner.
SPEAKER_00 (29:27):
You know, um, Dimitri, the this was a question
I I remember asking you when wewere when you had, you know, we
somehow we approached you or youapproached us, or at some point
we were in a conversation, and Iheard about all the plans and
how many restaurants you run andall your plans for opening new
restaurants, and I was justamazed.
How are you gonna find time tocome and teach here?
(29:49):
And so you're constantly and youare so high energy, and and I
just, you know, it just bafflesme to this day.
How do you find time to teachand interact?
And every time we call on you,you're always there and ready to
engage, and you've got this anincredible business running.
SPEAKER_01 (30:05):
It's actually the rewarding part of my job, I
think.
You know, when I can come inhere and teach what I'm doing
and give 90 to 100 students inmy classroom relevant
information and you know, here,this is me, this is how I did
it.
And have students then come upto you and say, Wow, or just
wanting to learn more and youknow, being firsthand knowledge
(30:26):
for them, because I thinkthere's such a big misconception
of hospitality out there, and itdrives me nuts when someone's
gonna pay so much money to go toschool and they think they're
gonna be a restaurant manager ora front desk person at a hotel.
I'm like, that's not it.
We're in the industry ofexperiences, we're in the
industry to create.
Take your favorite perfume.
How would you create anexperience based on that?
Take the laundromat, how are yougonna create an experience?
(30:47):
We fix problems.
If you're a problem solver, thisis the best industry for you.
So when I come into thisclassroom, I'm also engaging in
conversation.
You know, a lot of students havegiven me the best ideas through
conversation.
You know, I should be able togive some students some profits
from GRECO.
I had some amazing ideas, butwhen you can do a case study
(31:07):
with your team and say, hey,this is what I created, you're
all eating in fast casuals.
Let's let's debrief, let's talkabout what you see, what we're
doing wrong, and you know, howyou can make it better.
And I had students, you know,give me the best ideas, you
know, who really led to mycompany.
You know, I had one student, um,he was from Japan, and he was
like, Professor, you know, inJapan, you know, we you know we
(31:28):
eat a certain way, you know, wehave chopsticks, but my American
friends, when they come to visitme, I send them a YouTube video
on how to eat with chopsticks.
He goes, but when I went to yourrestaurant and had it had a
Yito, I took it out of the bagand ate it with a fork and
knife, and everybody was lookingat me.
He goes, You should create avideo on how to eat a Yito.
So my napkin now at therestaurant is instructions on
how to eat a Yiro, comically.
It's fun.
The same student then told me,you know what?
(31:49):
Also, when I ordered Greco, itwas I I you guys staple the bags
and I scratched my hand and Iwas bleeding, and then the
staple went in the food.
You should put a sticker, likethis we did in Japan, with a QR
code linking you to your appdownloads.
I did that and my app downloadsliterally went on fire.
My QR code for every takeoutbag, it says like fresh Greek
inside or something in Greekinside.
(32:10):
You scan it before you open thebag, you can download the app
for$5 off.
This student literally got metriple downloads.
Unfortunately, he he he droppedmy class.
He had to go back home forunfortunate reasons, but you
know, um, a student like that.
That's the the mentality I liketo see, how you solve problems,
and I think people don'tassociate that with hospitality,
and it is.
(32:30):
That's your career inhospitality.
It's not a front desk at ahotel.
Fine to do if you that's whatyou want to do, but there's so
much more behind the scenes inhospitality, how to create these
amazing experiences, and notjust you know financially, but
just to get some ROI inmarketing, to get some you know,
people you know having theseexperiences out there, you know,
traveling or whatever it is.
You know, there's just so much,I think, misconception of what
(32:51):
hospitality is, and I'm here toreally clear that.
You know, I want students toknow that it's my day isn't
going you know every day andbeing a chef, or which I'm not a
chef, you know, I hire them.
That's not my day.
My day is really how am I gonnastructure an experience?
How am I going to invite guests?
How am I going to make so manypeople happy today?
And once I'm able to do that, Iget so many students, you know
(33:12):
what?
I'm now majoring in hospitalitybecause they didn't know.
They didn't know.
I think the word hospitality isassociated to just an industry
where your opening remarks wereit's not.
It's it's a law, it's a culture,you know, it's a philosophy.
I think that's what we'reteaching in this school.
That's why I love being herebecause I'm able to have these
discussions with students andkind of say, you know what,
you're wrong about that.
It's it's a misconception ofhospitality.
(33:32):
Here's what it is, and we talkabout it, and it just opens many
more doors to many moreconversations.
And I'm actually learning, Ithink, more from that the
students than they are for me.
It's just a great, you know,database to have of, you know,
it's it's it's a market, it's ademographic.
College students are out therespending their money, you know.
So, how do you tap into theirminds?
And you have to kind of thepsychology behind it.
So it's been very, veryinteresting.
(33:52):
And in the end, it's just beensuper rewarding to have
conversations with thesestudents.
SPEAKER_00 (33:56):
You're running so many restaurants, you're opening
so many new, and you're stillengaging with the school, coming
and teaching here, and all theother aspects that we ask you to
engage with, and you are veryhappy to do your here for the
podcast as well.
So, how do you uh delegateresponsibility to restaurant
managers where it keeps you awayand independent?
(34:17):
So obviously, you're doingsomething right in terms of uh
training your managers andhaving them take over so much
that you are free to walkaround.
SPEAKER_01 (34:26):
You have to.
They would get bored withoutthat.
You know, you you empower themto make decisions on their own.
If you the reason why I leftinvestment banking in the
corporate world, I never wasable to make my own decision.
I've always had to get approval.
I always had to wait.
And I don't want my managersdoing that, I don't want my team
doing that.
I want them to be me when I'mnot there.
That's why they're there.
(34:47):
You know, if I'm just having amanager to do, again, the resume
responsibilities, I don't needthat.
You know, I need someone who'sgonna go above and beyond
responsibilities.
I need someone who's gonna makedecisions.
Don't just say the problem, findthe solution.
You know, do your own magic.
You know, we breed our team tokind of be on the sense that
they are owners, they are theiroperators, they can do what they
want, you know, in the sense,obviously, you're not saying
(35:07):
give everything away for free,but within the means of the
restaurant, go out there.
Don't make a mistake.
We learn from it too.
You know, we empower so much inour company that we're not
checking in, we're notmicromanaging.
You know, the reviews say it,you know, the numbers say it.
Numbers don't lie.
You know, all the stuff that weneed to see to kind of to gauge
and see how the restaurant'sdoing, they're there for us.
(35:28):
But what I can't see is how mymanager is gonna interact.
That's on them.
You know, and I want to empowerthem to say, you, you know what,
go out there, be yourself.
You have all the tools you need,you know how to make people's
days.
That's all we're here.
We're here to put smiles onfaces.
And it's simple.
And and that's what I lovedoing, and and and mentoring on
that.
And constantly, how do weenhance this?
You know, hospitality doesn'tstop there.
(35:48):
You know, everybody can say,okay, we can give a free
dessert, that's hospitality.
And it's not.
You know, I think that's what,oh my god, I get something for
free.
No, it's not that.
It's that feeling that youleave.
If you can wake up the next dayand say, Oh my god, I had an
amazing night, how many nightscan you say that?
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (36:02):
Okay.
Um, so what advice would yougive to aspiring hospitality,
young husb aspiring hospitalityprofessionals?
SPEAKER_01 (36:11):
I I love that question because I we do it in
my in my class too, and I I lovethe final project, which is
basically the innovationcompetition, is it these ideas?
My advice is be authentic.
You know, there's so manyresources out there, like AI and
Chat GBT, that's just giving youthe wrong information.
It's not you.
Once you're authentic, once youcome up with an idea, once you
come up with something byyourself, you know, when you're
(36:33):
out there in the field, youdon't have chat GBT doing your
work, but you it has to be you.
We become so reliant on thisnon-human thing that's spitting
up information that's you don'tknow how to do deal with it
after.
No, the biggest thing I I telleverybody and and I I see in my
servers and in my bartenders isto be authentic.
Authenticity.
That's something that can't bereplicated.
You know, if someone else isgiving information, that's
(36:55):
that's copying.
You know, it's great to beinspired by things, it's great
to you know have thatinspiration, but you need to
interpret that, you need toreimagine that, you know, and
being authentic is probably themost important thing.
You know, when you go out therein the workforce, you know, no
one's gonna do your work.
You have to you have to show up,you have to perform.
You can only do that by beingauthentic.
You know, I think it's the it'sthe only advice these days.
(37:16):
I'm constantly asked thatquestion, but I go back and
back, but you know what, just betruthful to yourself, be an
authentic person.
I think that's that that goesthe longest way.
My concepts, they're allauthentic concepts.
I don't go out there and copy,and I don't go chat GPT, give me
a new great concept.
There's something you have tofeel.
So by being authentic out there,you're you're you're showing up,
you're being your best self.
SPEAKER_00 (37:34):
Fantastic.
Um, I think um uh we have a setof questions, um, just so that
very quick answers a word, aphrase, or a couple of
sentences, rapid fire, uh nooverthinking.
Um I I I feel that we already, Ithink everyone listening, kind
of has a very good sense of whoyou are, but still I have these
questions.
So, what's one hospitality trendthat you think needs to go now?
(37:59):
We are done with it.
SPEAKER_01 (38:00):
AI.
AI for me it has to be AI.
Chat boxes, you know.
I that's not hospitality.
Scripted is is not.
You know, I need the human touchwill never go away.
SPEAKER_00 (38:10):
Yep.
For our world, it's it's veryimportant.
Um where is your one favoriteplace to get away?
SPEAKER_01 (38:16):
Believe it or not, Greece.
Greece.
Greece.
I just go back and I'mconstantly refreshed, I'm
constantly uh inspired, I'mconstantly learning.
I don't think we have enoughtime in the world to learn.
You know, I'm so learning, I'mrediscovering every time I'm in
Greece.
I love it.
Do you read books?
You have your favorite book?
I read a lot of mythology, Greekmythology.
Okay.
Still, a lot of Greek mythology.
SPEAKER_00 (38:35):
It's all Greek here.
All Greek TV.
Um, do you watch TV?
Uh rarely.
Rarely, okay.
Rarely.
Any particular program you'rewatching?
SPEAKER_01 (38:43):
Travel on Greece.
No kidding.
No, I I do, you know, for me,uh, Netflix is a Netflix and
chill.
I'm on that bandwagon.
That's a good trend.
Netflix and chill.
Uh I'm I'm focused when I watchNetflix.
Whatever, whatever's trending,whatever show that people are
talking about, I have to jump onand watch.
SPEAKER_00 (38:58):
What is the one must-place visit in Boston?
SPEAKER_01 (39:02):
That's a hard question.
You know, there's for me, I'm avery, very simple, you know,
sweatpants and shorts kind ofguy.
I don't even like attempting todress up to go out to dinner.
You know, I like ethnic spots.
You know, I I'm a big fan likeof Blue Nile and JP for great
Ethiopian food.
I anywhere I can walk to, so Igo out and back bay a lot.
But sometimes friends do make medress up and go out.
(39:23):
I do love Mu, Moo Steakhouse outin the Fort Point area.
But mostly I'm eating ethnicfood.
Um, things I can't Google andmake at home.
Mahaniam for great Thai food outin in Brookline.
Um, just any any little ethnicany ethnic spa.
SPEAKER_00 (39:38):
Fantastic.
Uh Dimitri, I really, reallyenjoyed our conversation.
Thank you so much for visitingus and everything you do for
sure.
Engaging with us, teaching ourstudents.
So really appreciated your uhcomments on the podcast.
Thank you.
My pleasure.
Dimitri, thank you for offeringsuch an insightful and
(39:58):
energizing lens on what it takesto build restaurants and careers
with intention, authenticity,and joy.
To our listeners, whether you'reopening your first concept,
leading a growing brand, orsimply someone who loves going
out to enjoy great food andgreat company.
This conversation is a reminderthat hospitality is a way to
(40:20):
design meaningful experiences.
Join us next time on theDistinguished Podcast as we
continue learning from leaderswho are reshaping hospitality
from the inside out.
If you want to join theconversation and share your
thoughts and suggestions, emailme at sardine at BU.edu.
That is s-a den at BU.edu.
(40:43):
This episode was produced byMara Littman, marketing by
Rachel Hamlin, audio video byJason Jose of Okun Media.
To keep up with DistinguishedPodcast, be sure to subscribe
wherever you listen to yourfavorite podcast.
To learn more about experienceinnovation in our programs,
visit bu.edu slash hospitality.
(41:06):
I'm Arundupneja, in a BU Schoolof Hospitality, wishing you a
great day.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.