239. Pride, Tradition & Hard Work Grows this Greek Restaurant - Yianni Kosmides Apola Greek Grill

It’s hard enough to start and successfully operate a restaurant in this country. But imagine doing it with numerous restaurants, while raising a family in a foreign land. This is the birth of a proud family legacy, and generations of pride in our business. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Yianni Kosmides of Apola Greek Grill. He is a Greek native who with his brother Stefano, cut his teeth at an early age helping run every part of the family business. We’ll learn of their father Dimitri’s pride, strong work ethic and deep love of tradition which fueled the boy’s own restaurant dreams. After selling the family restaurants and starting to enjoy a well-earned retirement, Yianni and Stef convinced their father to help them launch Apola Greek Grill, now a growing franchise based in California. Together this family is introducing Greek street food culture to the good old US of A. This episode is all about the “Secret Sauce” of running a great restaurant based on freshness, quality and tradition. We’ll talk about the importance of leading by example, training, attention to the bottom line, and let’s not forget the food. If you’ve ever tasted a real Greek GYRO (pronounced “Yeero”), with amazing traditional Tzatziki, this episode will make you hungry for Greek cuisine. Not only that but I’m sure you’ll learn a thing or two that you can apply to your own restaurant. And, if you’re looking for a new opportunity, check out their franchise model at www.eatapola.com Now go out there and Rock Your Restaurant! Roger For more Restaurant Resources: https://restaurantrockstars.com/ Thank you to our sponsors! Dawn Professional: https://pgpro.com/en-us/brands/dawn-professional/manual-pot-and-pan-detergent-original Restaurant Brands: https://www.restaurantbrands.com Use Promo Code RESTAURANTROCKSTARS to get 25% off most domains.