Restaurant Owners Uncorked - By Schedulefly

Dimitri Syros, a Greek-American former teacher and law school graduate, launched The Breakfast Company with his mother in Sarasota, Florida, in October 2020 amid the COVID pandemic, transforming her dream of a small coffee shop-bakery into a full-service breakfast-and-lunch concept that exploded from day one. The family leveraged their multi-generational restaurant heritage, including translating his late grandfather's recipe book, to fuel rapid growth to five locations with two more opening in June 2025. Facing soaring labor costs (tipped wages rising from $6 to $15/hour), inflation, hurricanes, and immigration impacts on supply chains, Syros emphasizes preserving soulful, community-driven service over fast-casual efficiency while experimenting with drive-thrus, standardized builds, and potential franchising to scale responsibly without losing family involvement or local intimacy. He credits early closure at 2 PM, above-market pay, promoting internal managing partners, and a strong support system for staff r