Peter & Paul’s Hospitality Group is an industry-leading company that has become the gold standard of premium service and quality.
While some restaurateurs who host private parties consider themselves to be in the event business, Greek- born Peter Eliopoulos views it differently. The founder of Peter & Paul’s Hospitality Group, established 44 years ago and now one of the most acclaimed hosts in the Greater Toronto Area, believes he is firmly in the hospitality business. As he explains in a recent interview with Dolce Magazine, there is a difference. A big difference.
“My family background is very important and the way of my upbringing,” says Eliopoulos. “I was born in Greece and then came here. The family was in the restaurant business and, for me, it was more of a combination of the restaurant and the hospitality part of it and entertaining the people. We put that together, along with the way my mother cooked — that was very important. Still today, specifically in my restaurants, it’s my mother. The oregano, the salt, the olive oil — it’s very important to Greek cuisine, along with the lamb chops, fresh fish and potatoes. Where we are from in southern Greece has some of the world’s finest olive oil and my mother cultivated that. It’s very good, and people just love it. There are no shortcuts in Greek cooking, and my mother was very instrumental in all of that.”
Peter, his parents and younger sister immigrated to Canada in 1967, where they lived with his two uncles as a very close Greek family in Toronto, which has one of the world’s largest Greek populations outside of Greece itself. Peter worked with his two uncles in the family restaurant, where he quickly came to love not only the food, drink and entertainment but also the fast-paced working environment. The seeds of becoming one of the finest hosts in the city were beginning to take root.
From modest beginnings as a small bakery that opened in 1982, Peter & Paul’s Hospitality Group is now one of the largest and most successful such enterprises in the country. The Group’s restaurants include Petros 82 Downtown and Petros 82 Don Mills (“Petros” being Eliopoulos’s birth name) and David Duncan House, and the event venues Paramount, The Manor, Kortright, Black Creek, Woodbine Racetrack, The Clubhouse at Woodbine Golf and Country Club, Bellagio, The Vue, Eaton Hall and Universal. The company also features Peter and Paul’s Event Catering for clients’ off- site catering, Peter and Paul’s Gifts for the finest in customized gift baskets, Engine 8 Media and Pure Event Design to make any occasion extra special and memorable.
The small family business Eliopoulos began with his wife, Anna, now has grown to thousands of employees servicing their clients daily. Remarkably, in the three decades of Peter & Paul’s Hospitality Group, they estimate that they’ve served more than 53 million people 125 million cocktails and hosted 1,075,000 events. Clearly, this is a company that truly understands hospitality.
The hospitality business, specifically the restaurant business, has been under increasing scrutiny lately for its treatment of employees. What is perhaps most telling about Peter & Paul’s venues and restaurants is their cheerful ambiance. These are genuinely happy environments, and Eliopoulos says that is not by accident.
“It is the whole package,” he says, speaking of his company’s success. “Yes, there are the recipes, but really, you need to have a love for it and to make things with love, otherwise it just doesn’t come out. Over the years, many of our people have been here for a long time, and people perfect things and they make it work. We look after our people with the environment we create for them, and I have a lot of influence in keeping our environment happy by listening to my people.”
The company is proud to have raised over $6 million for various charities over the years, including $3 million to Humber River Hospital and various other organizations including Sick Kids and The Hellenic Heritage Foundation. “To be able to help and to give is very important to me, as is being able to teach others,” says Eliopoulos. “Whether it’s financial or spending time or teaching or even to sit on a committee to raise money — whatever level you are — it’s good to give as we’re all only here for a little bit of time. These are the things that personally make me happy. It makes me feel good to see somebody else happy.”
As for the future, Eliopoulos has grand and ambitious plans. A future shaped by his vision and experience. “Regarding the Petros brand, I think there is room for another seven or eight in Toronto, and I also think we should go global and be everywhere,” he states proudly. “The food quality we have is second to none, so we’re looking very forward with our vision, but always, your vision must be and remain consistent.”
At Petros 82 every Friday night, the restaurant comes alive with Greek Night, featuring traditional bouzouki music and a live DJ. The event has become a consistently sold-out experience, drawing members of the Greek community and guests alike for an authentic evening of Greek culture, music, and hospitality.
Great food, great service, great ambience, and staffed by skilled professionals with a passion for what they do. A passion for that magic elixir that ties everything together: hospitality. That’s the Peter & Paul’s Hospitality Group difference, today and far into a very bright future.
Petros82 Don Mills
900 York Mills Rd, North York, ON
416-488-3234
Petros82 Downtown
299 Adeliade Street West, Toronto, ON.
416-785-7400
