By: Mason King
IBJ.com, Inside Dish
Santorini Greek Kitchen, the realized dream of restaurateur Taki Sawi and one of the flagship eateries in the rebounding Fountain Square neighborhood. Growing up in Greece, Sawi developed a love for restaurants and worked his way up from dishwasher to chef. He met his future wife, Jeanette, in 1996 while she was traveling through Greece. One of his first questions to her: "How would you feel about marrying a restaurateur?"
They made their home in Indiana and opened the first version of Santorini Greek Kitchen in 2001 at 1112 Shelby St. in Fountain Square. The small eatery in a leased space was an instant success, but the experience with the $150,000 startup filled Taki with a certain dread. "Never ever put all your eggs in one basket," he says now, recalling putting both his and his mother-in-law's house up as collateral for loans.Sawi was convinced that with only 40-some seats he was leaving money on the table. In 2003, community development corporation Southeast Neighborhood Development secured an $850,000 loan to purchase and renovate a former bar and restaurant space at 1417 E. Prospect St., and signed Sawi to a lease-to-purchase agreement. He since has acquired the much larger space.
The importance of controlling his location is not lost on Taki.
To read more and view a video of Taki explaining how controlling the real estate around him was key to his Santorini's successs ... click here.
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