Thinking of opening up a Greek restaurant in Poland, bad idea or good? Jenkei

Djen dobre everyone, my wife is polish and we are thinking of starting a restaurant in Poland
with Greek cuisine, I'm not sure which city and how Poles would relate to authentic Greek dishes. Any tips?

Thanks again!!

The problem that you'll have is differentiating yourself from all the crappy gyros places around here. In Wroclaw, there is a chain of "greek" restaurants that do terrible fast food, and a couple on rynek that are mediocre, but at least try to do something more than spinning meat on a spit.

@Pellasgos
There are a couple of Greek places in Warsaw which seem to be doing fairly well but they are proper restaurants rather than the spinning meat on a stick kind of place.

There used to be a chain of Greek restaurants, now called greco. Decent and cheap enough. I think a higher class place would be a welcome addition.

There is one called Santorini Tawerna. The family have been involved in restaurants in Warsaw for a long time. Many Poles travel to Greece so I am sure they know the food. You would have to get your target market spot on, of course the location has to be right.

It's worth pointing out that the food must be Polonised - Poles are dreadful for whining about food that doesn't have enough salt in for them.

Or chopped cabbage and szmalec

If you do that, i will open a plate shop next door!


Proof they are not slugs.

You could have a "no walking like an Egyptian allowed" sign.

There was a small chain of greek 'cafes; in poznan doing greek dishes. Was very reasonable and did a good trade.

Amen

Most Poles frequent foreign cuisine for the exotic quality, the city depends on how much moola you have to dish out, quality vs price and location are you keys here, the fact that its Greek would be considered secondary.


You mean Athens? I bought a schabowy cutlet there, not very greek if you ask me... Was good cheap eating though.

There's one here in Kato too, always looks busy on the weekend but I've never been so I couldn't tell ya if it's any good or not

and side orders of salad.

Congrats, your son will be half Polish and half Greek like me. ^_^

My philosophy is that you only get to live once so do what you love. If out of everything you want to run a restaurant (which is a lot harder than it seems) and if out of all the cultures you like Greek food the most and can best make it (personally I like Japanese food the best) then you should go for it.

The trouble is that with all the few seafood available in the region, and all the other rare commodities which are needed for fine Mediterranean food are too expensive and rare in Poland and their distributors. Hence, most of these restaurants stick to fast food, but fast food sucks, especially if you're passionate about food.

Do you speak ancient Greek? I head a number of good Polish universities are looking for teachers/professors for their classical programs. (Note this is different than modern Greek).

hi
i am Amin , from Bangladesh ,i like ur idea open greek reasturent .for money reson i wasnt able to open here , i know lot obout greek food because i was 7 years Cyprus ,i finishd my study there . i have good knowlodge about greek reasturent.i work in greek reasturent i live in torun , in poland its nice tourist and pololar city in poland u may cheek in internet about my place and market , please if u really want that in my palce i can help u .i belive u will not loss , i am working here as waiter in polish reasturent .its batter give me ur nummber then we may talk about that ,this my nummber

0048508416458
my e-mail
anonto90@yahoo

Grilled octopus anyone? Cold octopus/calamari/shrimp salad? Fish roe? Lamb shank in heavenly tomato sauce with a side of rosemary roasted potatoes and okra? A baked whole fish (with head)filleted at the table?

Good luck with this type of menu in a small town. :)

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL, you are so right. But the ones here in Chicago love this place called Taco Burrito King. Mexicans don't even go there,but the Poles love that cheap Mexican food.

No, the Polish-Americans love cheap Mexican food.

The Poles on the other hand are a bit "bleh" towards it.

Where is it? I want some cheap Mexican food... BTW, how do you know? Do you go there often? :)

How would you know, have you ever been to TBK or Chicago for that matter???
I know its just another one of your snide Limey comments against America, so your opinion is worthless as usual.
FYI most Polish Americans dont speak Polish that well, if any, so when you go into a restaurant and all you hear are people speaking Polish, I wonder where they would be from????? Duh!!!

Nice try,,now go bow to your crooked toothed queen and shut up, Puto!


Theres like 5 of them that I have been too, always see Polish people and Mexicans as well.
Are you sure youre not referring to Taco Bell,,,,Horrible stuff there!
TBK is Awesome!!!


I do:)
Belmont/Long
Belmont/Harlem
Harlem/ Montrose...I dont like this one
Harlem/Higgins,,,be careful after 2 a.m.
Touhy/ Milwaukee,,,has Piwo!!!
Smacznego!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny thing is, most French restaurants I've been to have this. Also cold seafood is a thing the French do, Mediterranean's cook it.


I'm going to evolve this statement a second time: No, Americans love cheap Mexican food.

Pellasgos, I hope you took my advice to open a Japanese restaurant or my contacts with the Polska mafia will have your fine establishment burnt down.

Thank you for all your clues! i am not a rookie in this profession and i actually am from Chicago !! :))
and yes, i know some ancient greek.

Starting a Greek shop in Poland... good idea?

hello to all... me and my polish wife thinking to move to poland.... podkarpackie region...
i m thinking to start a new business there. a Greek based shop....

any suggestions? do poles like greek cuisine?

They like gyros and some like moussaka

I see a lot of Poles here in Greek-town restaurants in Chicago... so maybe?

Just don't start another gyros place...be original...go to culinary school even if it's necessary.

Oh, Białystok definitely. And bring plenty of lamb.

I live in Poznan and we have three Greek restaurants here. Two of them are just normal restaurants but the third one called Meze is a little bit unusual. It based on small spaces, the same menu for whole year and low prices. It's not usual restaurant because you have to order and pay first (like in eatery) but the food is very good and fresh and it based on original Greek products. You also have to remember about the design, you have to make your restaurant look different than others. In Meze you have modern furnitures (good design but not too expensive) and no traditional greek stuff (like this: zuki.pl/warszawa-praga-poludnie/restauracje/grecka-tawerna -santorini/recenzja/2070/) but the colours are very greek (blue, yellow, white). Young people love this place and I assume they prosper well because they have tho places like this in Poznan and there are always people inside.

So, Pellasgos, you have to have THE IDEA, something original because opening another traditional greek restaurant could be not so good thought.
You can see it here : meze.pl

Good luck ! :)

Seconded - went there last week. The decor was a bit Ikea but hey, it was clean bright and the food was very fresh and not particularly polonized as you sometimes get with non-Polish cuisine. Recommended.

Room for more of these, I'd say.

Yeah, this is the same guy who owns Mykonos Restaurant :)

You mean "not laden with salt"? ;)

Which was the place that was on Gessler's show?

I was thinking more the ubiquitous sweetened cabbage. Goes a treat with burritos, that does. Not.