FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS APRIL 2017
Shmoozefest
FOOD
Wednesday June 14th, 5 pm, Moretti’s Edison Park Co-host: George Lemperis, Palace Grill.
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35 CELEBRATING
YEARS
INDUSTRY NEWS SERVING THE CULINARY CAPITAL OF THE US, CHICAGOLAND
FOUNDED 1982
APRIL 2017
YOLK’S AMAZING, DELICIOUS GROWTH
Great food, unique dishes and fantastic service all delivered to you with a smile– that’s the Yolk experience. It’s been that way since 2006 when Taki Kastanis founded his first Yolk in Chicago with innovative food and a great customer experience in mind. Today Yolk is still delivering unique and innovative dishes to thousands and thousands of loyal customers each week. But the story did not start there. Mr. Kastanis was “born”
into the restaurant business, growing up with hard-working parents who owned up to ten family-oriented eateries. As a child, Taki was often seen doing his homework in a booth at one of the restaurants while waiting for his parents to finish work. In his teen years, Taki happily put in his time at the family diners, working after school, weekends, and whenever his parents needed him. At the age of 20, Taki took a break from school to open
AROUND CHICAGO: ANIMALE ............................. 27 CARY MILLER: PEOPLE SELLING THE INDUSTRY ....... 46 CHEF PROFILES .................................... 10, 28, 29 DINING WITH MS. X ........................................ 25 TRAVEL: FOUR WINDS ...................................... 31 DIRECTORY & CLASSIFIEDS ...............................33 RESTAURANTS FOR SALE ................................. 36
CHEFS HALL OF FAME PHOTOS: PAGE 29
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his first breakfast and lunch concept. While it was a learning experience at such a ripe age, he sold it about a year later and returned to business school. After attending the University of Illinois for three years, Taki went on to get his Real Estate broker’s license and subsequently began a career in the real estate industry. However, with the restaurant business in his blood, it was hard to stay away. At the age of 24, he returned to the food industry by purchasing an existing restaurant in a northwest suburb of Chicago. After a year and a half, Taki sold that property and decided to turn his attentions to honing what was to become the Yolk concept – one that he knew would have an urban appeal. Continued on page 44
3/16/17 8:28 AM