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Greek-born entrepreneur builds New York-based family of restaurants led by award-winning seafood concept Oceana
John Livanos' career is one of those rags-to-riches tales that gives the American restaurant industry its rich legacy as a field of go-getters and high achievers who made it on hard work and a dream.
Born 70 years ago on the Greek island of Lesbos, Livanos was in his early 20s in 1957 when he abruptly halted his fledgling career as a Merchant Marine and jumped ship in New York with the English skills of a toddler and the wallet of a pauper. He started off with two jobs, washing dishes at two different Greek diners.
Today, Livanos oversees the New York-based Livanos Restaurant Group, a family-owned, seven-unit multiconcept company best known for its award-winning seafood restaurant, Oceana.
With his two sons, Nick and Bill, and daughter, Corina, all playing leading management roles in the company, John Livanos has built one of New York's more successful multiunit operators, with annual sales in excess of $25 million.
Operating in a city that boasts more than 30 multiconcept restaurant operators - many of whom have national reputations - the Livanos Restaurant Group largely has flown under the radar screen despite that its individual restaurants have received a high degree of critical attention.
The company's restaurants have separate websites; there is no group Internet listing even though each web posting cites ownership by "the Livanos family."
"They do everything quietly," says John Mariani, Esquire magazine restaurant reviewer, food critic and author. "And yet, they have some of the best restaurants in the city and some of the best talent in their kitchens.
"And their service is second to none because there is usually a family member always on site or a partner who shares their values," he continues. "That's what I really like about them, in relation to these other diverse restaurant companies."
At 14 years old, Oceana belongs to an exclusive fraternity of upscale seafood palaces in New York that includes Le Bernardin, Water's Edge and the Sea Grill - all of which set the high-water mark for sumptuous seafood dining in opulent rooms.
Executive chef Cornelius Gallagher orchestrates Oceana's menu, while general manager and partner, Paul McLaughlin, runs front-of-the-house operations.
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