Today we’d like to introduce you to Rezart Tafa
Hi Rezart, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to Dallas about 5 years ago from Greece. When I first moved here, I worked as a waiter at a Greek restaurant but always dreamed of opening my own authentic Greek restaurant with the same recipes and taste from the island I grew up on, Mykonos. About a year ago, my family and I started Kalamaki Greek Eatery as a cloud kitchen concept in downtown Dallas to get our start in the restaurant industry. In December 2023, we were able to open our first brick and mortar location in Anna, TX.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As a brand new restaurant concept, we struggled initially to find a brick and mortar location that would be willing to lease a space to us without already being an established name. We heard a lot of no’s before eventually getting our start at Commerce Fork Food (cloudkitchens). Although the cloudkitchen was a great way to build our name/brand and reputation in the community, we also struggled with visibility, marketing challenges, not being able to serve our customers in person, and relying on delivery platforms as a digital kitchen.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My brother, dad, business partner and I draw inspiration from our childhood on Mykonos island. Kalamaki means “skewer” in Greek and this is what we are named after! Our pork, chicken, and beef skewers are hand marinated using our family recipe. Our feta cheese, yogurt, olives and pita bread are imported from Greece. We hand marinate our meat and make our traditional sauces like Tzatziki, Tirokafteri (Spicy Feta), and Kalamaki sauce (Greek yogurt honey mustard) from scratch. This is what sets us apart from other Greek restaurants because we use Greek products and make our food in house with simple ingredients giving our food that authentic Greek island flavor.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up on one of the most travelled islands in the world, I got to experience people from so many different cultures and places but also share a piece of my culture with them as a local living and working on the island. My summers were spent swimming in the Aegean Sea and drinking freddo espresso and winters being in school and playing soccer. Island life is all about having a good time, swimming, hanging out with friends and eating good food. I’m a person of integrity and always want to see the good in others and enjoy meeting different and diverse people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kalamakigreekeatery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalamakigreekeatery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554981579129&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Kayla Enright
Alison Erves
