The Breakfast Company opens in East Manatee. It’s a family tradition with a Greek twist
It didn’t take diners long to find The Breakfast Company, which opened this month in East Manatee’s Twelve Oaks Plaza. The place stays busy as customers dive into plates of pancakes, eggs or sweet potato and bacon hash.
That is, if they haven’t been diverted by the bakery display case at the entrance, which is full of big, fat cinnamon rolls and other pastries baked daily at the restaurant.
The Breakfast Company, 7246 55th Ave. E., serves original family recipes using locally-source ingredients inspired by the family’s Greek roots.
The restaurant, operated by the mother-and-son team of Terri and Dimitri Syros, and staffed by several other family members, including a grandmother as cashier, a sister as a server and a cousin as a hostess, is a true family operation. Terri’s twin sister, Patti Corcoran, is the mastermind behind the bakery.
“This restaurant was opened as a tribute to my grandfather, George Soublis, who founded El Greco Cafe in downtown Sarasota in 1990,” Dimitri Syros, 27, said.
No surprise then that the menu features staples such as El Greco Famous Greek Dressing and homemade pita bread.
Other favorites on the menu include Patti Corcoran’s Twinnie’s Brownies, the cinnamon rolls, sweet potato bacon hash and Florida French toast.
“We are excited to open our restaurant and serve the Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch community,” said Dimitri Syros, a graduate of Riverview High School, who commutes between Miami, where he is working on his law degree, and the restaurant.
The restaurant motto, “Be Strong. Work Hard. Family First,” is on painted on the wall and is imprinted on the shirts of staff members.
“We are keeping his memory and legacy alive. Papa George trained us all well,” Terri Syros said.
The theme at The Breakfast Company is family, good service and cleanliness, Dimitri said.
“Twelve Oaks Plaza already has a vibrant tenant lineup that attracts a high number of customers per day, and with the recent enhancement of State Road 70 and the construction of the new hotel and pre-school in the area, we believe that our future is bright. We are excited to continue to grow,” Dimitri said.
The restaurant might have opened sooner, except for the COVID-19 pandemic, which cast uncertainty over all restaurant and retail operations in March. The family used the slack time to get the restaurant space in shape for opening two weeks ago.
The menu includes breakfast and lunch menus.
The breakfast menu is extensive with omelettes, skillets, pancakes, waffles, and French toast featured prominently, along with healthy choices such as Greek yogurt parfait, fresh avocado toast and steel-cut oatmeal. Prices start at $7.
The lunch menu includes an array of salads, sandwiches and burgers, starting at about $10.
The Breakfast Company is open 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday, and is closed on Monday.
ShopOne Centers REIT, owner, operator and manager of Twelve Oaks Plaza, announced that shopping center is now 100 percent leased.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome The Breakfast Company to Twelve Oaks Plaza. Partnering with high quality, local restaurateurs is essential in creating a strong, vibrant tenant mix,” Bob Dake, chief operating officer at ShopOne, said in a press release.
“This accomplishment reflects our team’s ability to continue executing our lease up strategy and delivering quality services to the communities in which our centers serve. We look forward to The Breakfast Company serving as one of the top destinations in the area for breakfast and lunch,” Dake said.
For more information about The Breakfast Company, call 941-201-6002 or visit thebreakfastcompanyfl.com.
This story was originally published October 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
