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Steve Georgiev,
Joe Magianno's,
Toronto, Ontario
By Gary Lipovetsky, President of MenuPalace.com
 After purchasing an outdated, pub-style Italian eatery in November 2010 and converting it into a casual dining restaurant serving authentic Italian cuisine, Steve Georgiev of Joe Magianno's likes seeing his success in the faces of his customers. Catering to the business crowd, young professionals and families alike, Joe Magianno's is on its way to becoming a household name. MenuPalace recently caught up with Steve for chat about all things Joe.
MP: Where did the name Joe Maggiano's come from?
SG: We purchased the business from previous owners who had already built up the name, so we decided to keep it. To be honest [laughs] it's somewhat of a mystery.
MP: How did you get involved in the restaurant business?
SG: My family has been in the restaurant business for about 30 years; I come from an investment background so the restaurant business provided a good challenge.
MP: What are some of the challenges you've faced?
SG: The major challenge for us was that the previous owners had a very particular way of doing things - a particular style and décor, which we found to be very old fashioned. So, bringing in a new crowd was a bit of a challenge. But with some major renovations - and a feasibility study that confirmed the average income of the area and the expected population growth - we were able to turn things around. The majority of a restaurant's business is not normally from destination customers, but rather it's local people coming in. So if you take these things into account, it makes it easier to overcome difficulties.
MP: The restaurant business is often regarded as one of the toughest industries. What has enabled Joe's to achieve success?
SG: The combination of the right people and a good business sense; the restaurant business is tough, and there are a million factors to get in the way. You can do a million things right and nobody notices, but if you do one thing wrong, everybody notices. You could be the best chef or restaurateur, but if you don't price your items right, it could all easily go downhill. Since we did take the restaurant over from previous owners, it was already paying the bills, and had an existing clientele. But we started managing all the costs, brought in our own chef and consultants and decided to standardize things. We switched the recipes to homemade items. We knew that people don't want to pay for a little piece of food on a big plate, so we give generous helpings. It all seemed to work out well for us.
MP: If you were to relocate your restaurant to the old country, where in Italy would you set up shop?
SG: Hypothetically speaking, I like Milan and Rome, or Venice even, but our particular restaurant concept wouldn't really work there. I believe that the area determines a restaurant, and I know that they operate very differently in Italy. Another type of restaurant, perhaps...
MP: Brunch is like the beautiful half sister of breakfast and lunch, but modern restaurateurs often overlook it. Why did Joe's decide to launch a brunch menu, and how is it doing?
SG: Well, after doing an in house survey with customers we know, and realising that a restaurant with a good brunch menu was something the area lacked, we decided that brunch dishes were something we could provide at an inexpensive price. It's good for the business and for our customers.
MP: Have you ever considered making Joe's a chain restaurant? Why or why not?
SG: We have, yes. The name is definitely franchisable. It's something we're looking into doing but not in the near future, perhaps with a 5-year outlook. You need to be around awhile with established owners and an established clientele in order to build a successful franchise, and we are doing well here, but we're in no rush.
MP: There is a particular method of preparing quality Italian food, tell us about yours.
SG: We designed the menu ourselves and take great pride in the quality and freshness of our menu items. Our vegetables come in four times a week, and we're very good at keeping our waste count low, so everything is fresh. We make true style panini sandwiches, and all our sauces and soups and premium products are made in house, no pre-packaged items.
MP: If you had to eat one dish from your menu for the rest of your life, what would it be?
SG: Personally, I like the Pollo Bello sandwich: marinated grilled chicken, Portobello mushrooms, zucchini and goat cheese, served on a ciabatta bun. Great lunch item, for sure. |