Young Ones to Watch: George Pertesis of The Simple Greek

1851: What was it that drew you into franchising? 

George Pertesis, Owner of The Simple Greek: Our family is Greek and we always wanted to open up a gyro concept that we would see in Athens. So, when we saw The Simple Greek was franchising, we were hooked because we would become part of a new brand that is expanding with a national presence.

1851: What do you see as the biggest change that is going to impact the franchise industry going forward? 
Pertesis: I think delivery platforms like UberEats and Grubhub, as well as online ordering will change the ways restaurants staff team members. More and more customers are getting hooked on the convenience of getting food delivered to their doorstep within minutes or picking up their food without having to interact with anyone. With that being said, restaurants may have to hire or even cut back on staff, depending on the situation.

1851: What advice would you give to other young up-and-comers? 
Pertesis: Work very hard and strive to make your business better and better every day, and the benefits will be reaped in the long run.

1851: What advice would you give to someone deciding to own a franchise? 
Pertesis: Always try to find better ways to become more efficient, whether its back or front of house, and get involved with the community as that can lead to an increase in catering sales and being invited to events that can help your brand.

1851: What’s an innovative company (that’s not in franchise space) that you like and you think franchising can learn from? 
Pertesis: I always like to read about what Union Square and Danny Meyer are coming up with concept wise. A lot of franchises exist today because they create a spinoff of a Meyer concept. The guy is a genius in my book.