Entrepreneurial dreams are only distant until they come true. This turned out to be true for Think Greeka family-owned Greek restaurant in Port St. Lucie, Florida, that started as a food truck and has since won Food Network's Best Bite Best bite in town. General manager Rosanne Leo attributes the restaurant's success to a focus on serving authentic Greek recipes and a distinctive Greek fusion menu.

“We're first-generation Greek-Americans, so we knew when we started the food truck in 2014 that this was what we wanted to do,” she says. “But we didn't want to (just) do regular Greek food. We wanted to include a fusion menu, coming up with different items that people haven't heard of before.”

When South Beach Wine and Food Festival asked Think Greek to participate in 2020, the team knew immediately that their original fusion menu item, Gyropitakia (Greek for wontons), would be a hit. Their guess was correct and they won the title of “Best Bite on the Beach”. Listen to the episode below to hear directly from Leo.

“It was just an incredible feeling, because this is something we found,” says Leo. “It wasn't anybody else's recipe. It was (we) brainstormed one day at the food truck.”

The next year, Think Greek came back and won again, helping it solidify its reputation for taste and consistency.

Earlier this year, Think Greek took part in another cooking show, but the stakes were even higher this time. Food Network contacted Leo to be on the first season of Best bite in towna spin-off of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives with celebrity chef Guy Fieri.

“It was our dream to be on the Food Network, but more specifically, we wanted to be on Triple D… I was so excited,” Leo said.

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The show's premise involved Fieri sending three people to a city to try two dishes from six different local restaurants, ultimately choosing a “Best Bite” in that city. Dishes were judged on skill, presentation and taste. Think Greek won Port St.'s Best Bite. Lucie and then went on to win Best Bite in Town during the show's finale with her Gyropitakia.

The judges explained that they had never eaten anything like Gyropitakia before, leading to Think Greek's victory. The innovation and creativity of the dish sets the local restaurant apart, a great testament to the efforts of the family-owned business.

“It really made us feel all the hard work, the energy, the brainstorming, and it's all working out and paying off,” says Leo. “Sometimes, as a family-owned business and as a mom-and-pop, you get overlooked a little bit and it's disheartening. But hearing that our efforts aren't being ignored really gives us that energy to keep going.”

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With new attention from the TV show and increasing media visibility many comments came from customers and viewers. Leo says scrolling through social media to see the latest reactions can sometimes become overwhelming. She decided to take it day by day and hold space for both the positive and the negative critical comments.

“You can't please everyone, and that's okay. Some comments are less than pleasant, and that's okay,” says Leo. “Everybody's entitled to their opinion. All I know is we're trying to do our best and we're getting our food out the way we put our food out.”

Leo's willingness to take risks and seize big opportunities, such as to be featured on a TV show has elevated the Think Greek brand. Over time, her persistence helped establish the restaurant positive reputation.

Her advice to business owners seeking this kind of success is to stay consistent with their creative endeavors and values ​​and use social media to engage their audience and elicit feedback to improve operations. She also encourages business owners to believe in themselves and what they can achieve.

“Sometimes I'm like, wow, I can't believe it,” she says. “But people should never say never. Anything is possible. Some days, you want to give up, but you keep going because this is your baby. This is your dream. This is your chance to show what you're made of .”

For more than a decade, Think Greek has stood by these simple – but crucial – tools for success:

• Take opportunities when they come. Participating in local festivals and contests can lead to gaining more viewership, which can lead to greater opportunities in the future. Being open to trying new things can push your business into fresh and exciting arenas.
• Embrace innovation to set yourself apart. The innovation of your products or services can differentiate a business and attract customers looking for new experiences. Creating your niche it can help customers choose you over competitors.
• Appreciate the feedback, but don't let the negativity get in your way. Taking criticism can be challenging and requires resilience. Knowing that it's impossible to please everyone allows you to focus on giving your best effort to the things you know you can do well or even improve.

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Editorial contributions by Angela Lee and Kristi Lindahl

This article is part of our continuity America's Favorite Mom & Pop Stores™ series highlighting family-owned and operated businesses.