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Entrepreneurial dreams are only far-fetched until they come true. This proved true for Think Greek, a family-owned Greek restaurant in Port St. Lucie, Florida, that started as a food truck and has since won "Best Bite" on Food Network's Best Bite in Town. General manager Rosanne Leo attributes the restaurant's success to focusing on providing authentic Greek recipes and a distinctive Greek fusion menu.
"We are first-generation Greek Americans, so we knew when we started the food truck in 2014 that is what we wanted to do," she says. "But we didn't want to [just] do regular Greek food. We wanted to incorporate a fusion menu, coming up with different items that people haven't heard of before."
When South Beach Wine & Food Festival asked Think Greek to participate in 2020, the team immediately knew their original fusion menu item, Gyropitakia (Greek wontons), would be a hit. Their hunch was correct, and they won the title of "Best Bite on the Beach." Listen to the episode below to hear directly from Leo.
"It was just an incredible feeling because this is something that we came up with," Leo says. "It wasn't anybody else's recipe. It was [us] brainstorming one day on the food truck."
The following year, Think Greek returned and won again, helping it solidify its reputation for tastiness and consistency.
Earlier this year, Think Greek participated in another cooking show, but the stakes were even higher this time. Food Network contacted Leo to be on the first season of Best Bite in Town, a spin-off of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives with celebrity chef Guy Fieri.
"This was our dream to be on Food Network, but more specifically, we wanted to be on Triple D… I was so excited," Leo shared.
Related: Guy Fieri, Cable's Highest-Paid Chef, Hopes to Save His Industry With 'Restaurant Reboot'
The show's premise involved Fieri sending three people to a town to try two dishes from six different local restaurants, ultimately choosing one "Best Bite" in that town. The dishes were judged based on capability, presentation and taste. Think Greek won "Best Bite" of Port St. Lucie and then went on to win "Best Bite in Town" during the show's finale with its Gyropitakia.
The judges explained that they'd never eaten anything like Gyropitakia before, leading to Think Greek's win. The dish's novelty and creativity set the local restaurant apart, a huge testament to the family-owned business's efforts.
"That really made us feel all the hard work, energy, brainstorming and everything is working and is paying off," Leo says. "Sometimes, as a family-owned business and as a mom-and-pop, you get overlooked a little bit, and it's disheartening. But to hear that our efforts are not being ignored really does give us that energy to keep working."
Related: Guy Fieri Is Insanely Busy. Here's How He Gets It All Done.
With new attention from the TV show and increased media visibility came many comments from customers and viewers. Leo says that scrolling social media to see the latest feedback sometimes becomes overwhelming. She decided to take it day by day and hold space for both positive and critical reviews.
"You can't please everybody, and that's okay. Some comments are less than nice, and that's fine," Leo says. "Everybody's entitled to their opinion. All I know is that we're trying our best, and we're putting out the food the way we put out our food."
Leo's willingness to take risks and seize big opportunities, such as being featured on a TV show, has elevated Think Greek's brand. Over time, her persistence helped establish the restaurant's positive reputation.
Her advice for business owners seeking this kind of success is to stay consistent with their creative efforts and values and use social media to engage their audiences and uncover feedback for improving operations. She also encourages business owners to believe in themselves and what they can achieve.
"Sometimes I'm just like, wow, I can't believe it," she says. "But people should never say never. Anything is possible. Some days, you want to give up, but keep going because this is your baby. This is your dream. This is your opportunity to show what you're made of."
For over a decade, Think Greek has stood by these simple — but crucial — tools for success:
- Seize opportunities as they come. Attending local festivals and competitions can lead to gaining more visibility, which can snowball into larger opportunities in the future. Being open to trying new things can springboard your business into fresh and exciting arenas.
- Embrace innovation to set yourself apart. Innovating your products or services can distinguish a business and attract customers seeking novel experiences. Creating your own niche can help customers choose you over competitors.
- Value feedback, but don't let negativity deter you. Receiving criticism can be challenging and requires resilience. Recognizing it's impossible to please everyone allows you to focus on giving your best effort to the things you know you can do well or even improve.
Subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora and Soundcloud.
Editorial contributions by Angela Lee and Kristi Lindahl
This article is part of our ongoing America's Favorite Mom & Pop Shops™ series highlighting family-owned and operated businesses.
