Greek restaurant Yeeros, in Dublin, recently won Independent Restaurant of the Year at the 2024 Deliveroo Restaurant Awards.
First launched in 2018, Yeeros has a presence in Glasnevin, Drumcondra, and Wexford Street – all in Dublin.
Tough Competition
Family-run Yeeros beat tough competition from UK regional restaurant award-winners White Men Can’t Jerk, in Peckham, London, Luxford Burgers, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Dhamaka, in Bristol, South-West England, and Slap & Pickle, in Sheffield, Northern England.
The award was judged by renowned food critic and writer Jimi Famurewa, in collaboration with Deliveroo’s CEO and founder, Will Shu.
Greek Street Food
Famurewa said that he was impressed by Yeeros’s commitment to serving the best-tasting authentic Greek street food in Dublin, from developing innovative cooking methods to creating tasty modern twists on Greek classics – and the staff’s warm, family-focused approach to serving the city.
George Stamopoulos, managing director of Yeeros, spoke to Hospitality Ireland recently about his Greek heritage and the remarkable growth of Yeeros since it first opened.
How did it feel to win Independent Restaurant of the Year at the 2024 Deliveroo Restaurant Awards?
It is a great feeling. It is a recognition of our hard work over a long period.
Tell us about your background – where you grew up, studied, etc.
I am originally from Greece. I grew up there. I finished school in Greece, and then I went to Germany to study, but I couldn’t afford college.
I was very familiar with information technology, despite not having studied for it. In November 2013, I started to work for big companies in the industry. I worked for a gambling company initially, and then for an IT company. I was working for SSL certificates, website security. The last role I had in IT was for Symantec.
In September of 2018, I decided to try the restaurant industry. I had worked previously in the kitchen at the Gresham Hotel. I found premises in Glasnevin and decided to serve proper Greek street food.
What first drew you to hospitality?
Look, I love food. I am Greek, so we love sharing food. Sharing food with family and friends is a big part of our culture.
I knew that I had good taste. I didn’t have commercial experience, you know, in a commercial kitchen – definitely not – but I knew how to cook. I knew what I was going to do. I wanted to do something that would be authentic – really authentic.
Sometimes, when you open a kitchen in another country, you can try to combine things with the country that you are in. You can lose the authenticity of your food. I decided to cook what I would like to cook, what I would serve to my kids. I thought, I don’t care if people will like it or not. I will do it the authentic way – the same way that we do it in Greece.
I want to I feel like I am representing Greek food in Ireland because there are not too many restaurants that serve Greek food here. I wanted people to be proud of the food that we are offering – the Greeks, at least. That is how I started.
What brought you to Ireland?
To be honest with you, because of the crisis in Greece. I decided to emigrate, and then I had very good friends of mine who were in Ireland for many years.
Those friends were the reason that I chose Ireland.
Tell us about Yeeros – the ethos, food, service, etc.
When we opened first, we knew we had a unique product. Years ago, there were not many Greek restaurants in Dublin.
There have been more lately – takeaways, in particular – but the food is not the same. It looks like a kebab, but it’s not the same as a kebab in Greece. It has different ingredients.
Secondly, we are consistent, but, at the same time, we offer something unique, something different. These are the main reasons why we have been successful.
What makes a great restaurant?
The ingredients, the quality of service. When people come into a restaurant, they want good vibes.
They can tell if you are passionate or not.
What are the major challenges at the moment?
There are too many, unfortunately. First of all, the cost of the food – everything is so expensive, and it doesn’t stop. We get price increases on our supplies all the time – transportation, everything gets more expensive.
Secondly, the increase in wages. I cannot fight it, to be honest with you, because it’s good, because everything has gotten so expensive, so staff need more money in order to get by. Restaurants and supermarkets and all these things are more expensive.
A few years ago, a family could buy a nice meal in a decent restaurant with €100. Now a family need nearly €100 to go to a takeaway.
That brings the rest of the story – the level of priority. Many customers are cooking at home more often because they don’t have the money for a restaurant.
The problems with antisocial behaviour in the city centre is another issue that needs to be addressed, along with the taxi shortage. People should feel safe when they are going out for a meal or a drink.
What are the main opportunities?
I think that, when there is a crisis, many restaurants will look at the need to bring something new and unique to the market. There will be new opportunities, new ideas, new projects.
This is what I believe.
What are your ambitions for the future?
We are doing well, so we will probably open more restaurants.
At the moment, we are trying to organise the business. We have decided to expand. We want to maybe franchise or expand in general.
What do you like to do when you are not working?
First of all, I like to spend time with the family because I’m working too many hours, so I’m always trying to find time for my two kids and my wife.
I love basketball. I love driving as well, so I do road trips.
What is your favourite meal?
Moussaka.
Do you have a favourite holiday destination?
I love Greece. I try to go as often as I can. Also Venezuela. My wife is from Venezuela.
What is your favourite pub?
The Bald Eagle in Phibsboro.
What is one food that you always have in your fridge?
That’s easy: feta cheese.
