From street market to sit-down restaurant: helping Greek Flavours achieve success
Introduction
Greek Flavours is a new homemade Greek food restaurant located in Swansea’s City Centre. The restaurant is the brainchild of owner and chef Alex Stetos, who first gained popularity by renting a pitch at Swansea Bay Street Markets (another Urban Foundry initiative), serving authentic, high-quality Greek dishes from his van. As his following grew, Alex outgrew his first unit in Brynhyfryd and set his sights on opening a sit-down restaurant. Urban Foundry was approached to help Alex turn his vision into a reality.
The idea
Alex had a vision for his restaurant but lacked the necessary funds and support to bring it to life. He also needed advice and guidance on how to scale up his business and navigate the complex world of restaurants.
What we did
Urban Foundry’s team offered one-to-one business support to Alex, supporting him to secure funding and providing advice and support. Through our PopUp Wales initiative, Alex was able to secure the funding he needed to rent a unit on the Kingsway in Swansea. The PopUp Wales initiative is funded by Swansea Council with funds from Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns scheme and played a significant role in helping Alex raise the funding needed to bring his dream of a sit-down restaurant to life. The team also provided him with guidance on how to design his restaurant and create a menu that would stand out in the competitive restaurant industry.
Impact of our work
Greek Flavours opened its doors in early February and has already received high praise from customers. The restaurant is the only Greek restaurant in Swansea’s City Centre, adding to the vibrant culture of independent restaurants in the area and offering a new and exciting cuisine for residents and visitors to try. The space has been beautifully designed, making it a fantastic place to socialise with friends and family.
Greek Flavours is a heart-warming story of passion and success. Alex Stetos’ journey from selling Greek food from a van at a street market to opening a sit-down restaurant is truly inspiring. Urban Foundry is proud to have been a part of it and will continue to offer support and advice to Alex. The PopUp Wales initiative offers a flexible and affordable option for individuals and businesses to test trade their business ideas in a safe and supported environment.
Greek Flavours is a testament to the power of vision, passion, and collaboration.
Greek Flavours can be found at: 32 The Kingsway, Swansea SA1 5LE.
