CirclEats: Opa! Simply Greek

Posted on 01/31/19 in Greater Circle Business Alliance

The latest CirclEats blog features Pete Moissis, owner of the Simply Greek restaurant in our very own Uptown, where customers enjoy authentic Greek cuisine and spectacular decor! We talked about the history of Simply Greek, why food sourcing is so important to them, and what customers can expect from one of Uptown's best.

University Circle Inc.: Tell us the Simply Greek story!
Simply Greek: We started four and a half years ago in Bainbridge. My family is Greek, so the food is something that came naturally to me. Prior to starting this up, I worked in advertising for over 20 years, and realized that, even with the shaky economy, this is something we could control. The idea is sort-of an unconventional hybrid - by that, I mean it’s a chef’s kitchen, but a quick-serve environment. We make our own stock for our soup - we don’t own a microwave. We really care about the environment of our business, and the quality of the food we serve. Sure, it’s fast, but it’s superior quality - our lamb chops are from a farm in Michigan, the beef comes from a farm in Kansas, we skin and filet the salmon by hand. I have a lot of pride in what we deliver to our customers.

UCI: What’s it like owning a business near a college campus?
SG: I’ve been so pleasantly surprised and happy with how it’s gone. These kids are so polite, they have much respect for great service, and their palet is amazing - you don’t find that on most college campuses. It’s been a really great fit. Once we really got our roots down here, we had so many student regulars, and we got to know them so well, that we didn’t want to graduate, thinking we’d never see them again. But, when they’d come back to visit after graduating, they’d always stop in and run around the counter for a big hug and order their favorite off the menu. I really never thought that would happen, but I’m so glad to have had an impact like that. It really means a lot to us.

UCI: Such a great sentiment! Let’s push the map out a bit more and talk about your thoughts on owning a business in Uptown/University Circle?
SG: Uptown is really making a name for itself. With all of the events and entertainment happening, it’s great to be in such close proximity to all of the action. When I’m explaining University Circle to people that have never been here before, I say it’s a ‘cultural oasis’ - you’d never want for anything, it’s all here. You can be young, live here and have fun, and you could also raise a family here.University Circle has state-of-the-art educational institutions, medical facilities and arts and culture. What more could you want? It’s amazing.

UCI: What’s your personal favorite menu item here?
SG: The lamb chops, hands-down. They’re fantastically-sourced from a farm in Northern Michigan, I get them cut exactly how I want, and it’s a traditional Greek dish!

UCI: Tell us what we can expect to see from Simply Greek in the future! Do you change or add to your menu frequently?
SG: We’re constantly adding new things to the menu - we’ll typically run it as a special for a while and see if our customers like it, then add it to the menu as a regular item. We also still have the Winter Break Happy Hour (even though it’s not winter), which allows people to try something new, while also being conscious of the students that come here with smaller wallets - it includes our four most popular items: the burger, the souvlaki, the euro and the wrap, and we made them an even $5. It allows the kids that come in here to get a really high quality meal for a decent price.



Simply Greek is located at 11454 Uptown Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106. Be sure to stop in soon for delicious food and great company!