About ZIZIKI'S Taverna
This new dining experience is the brainchild of Costa and Mary Arabatzis, owners of Ziziki’s Restaurant. The opportunity to introduce a new and exciting Mediterranean mezzes menu has been a concept that Costa has been dreaming about for years.
Our mission is to create an intimate Mediterranean bistro specializing in Greek and Italian cuisine presented on small plates called mezzes. Our goal is to provide consistently great Mediterranean food featuring the freshest ingredients and beverages at a good value – served with attentive upbeat service. We want our guests to feel as welcome as if they were in a friend’s home.
We elicited the best talent possible when designing and building Ziziki's Taverna. The award winning restaurant design team, PlanB, spearheaded by owner and long time friend, Royce Ring, along with Chryssi Koumoundouros, who has Greek ancestry, designed the rustic yet contemporary look of Ziziki's Taverna. Some of PlanB’s other designs include Stoneleigh Hotel, Urban Taco, and Bolsa. Richard and Jean Buzzard, who have supported Costa and Mary Arabatzis in their other endeavors, are investors in Ziziki's Taverna. Ryan Finan, owner of Finan & Associates, is the building contractor who built Ziziki's Taverna and who specializes in commercial restaurant construction in Dallas.
OUR HISTORY
Ziziki's Taverna is a “sister” concept of Ziziki’s. Since the inception of Ziziki’s Restaurant in July 1994 at the original Travis Walk location, Ziziki’s has earned high acclaim from both local and national food critics and wine press. Ziziki’s consistently produces flavorful Greek and Italian cuisine now at their three Ziziki’s locations: Travis Walk, North Dallas at Preston/Forest, and, most recently, in Plano at Lakeside Market.
The original Ziziki’s Travis Walk expanded at Travis Walk in 1995 to include a private dining room, which accommodates up to 40 guests. Another expansion occurred in 2004 with a second semi-private room across from the bar in the main dining room which can seat up to 20 guests. Both private dining rooms are filled with private parties that frequently book the rooms. When parties aren’t booked, the private dining rooms are used every night for regular seating to reduce the normal one hour waiting time.
In December 1999, Mary and Costa opened the long awaited second location in North Dallas. It was originally located at Coit and Arapaho in Shops of Spanish Village. After fulfilling a five-year lease, they moved to the current location at 11661 Preston Rd. #309, Dallas, Texas, 75230 in the prestigious Preston Hollow neighborhood. The move has proven to be an economically beneficial change.
This past February, 2009, Mary and Costa opened a third Ziziki’s location at 5809 Preston Rd. #578, Plano, Texas, 75093 in the prestigious Willow Bend area. This third location has also proven to be an extremely financially sound expansion even in a down economy.
The name Ziziki’s comes from the Greek name for the tangy yogurt sauce (tzatziki sauce) which is used as the dressing for many of the signature menu items, including the famous Greek salad. Ziziki’s has become everyone’s favorite neighborhood bistro with an upbeat atmosphere and eclectic décor with yellow-tinted wine shelves and dark-stained mahogany wood bar.
The owners' passion for wine is exhibited in their award winning wine list which complements the cuisine and offers a unique and eclectic selection of wine from around the world…of course with an emphasis on Greek and Italian wines. Attentive service is given to customers who dine with Ziziki’s in their main dining room, European-styled patio, and private dining area. Most of the wait staff has been with Ziziki’s since it opened; thus, customers feel like Ziziki’s is their “neighborhood” restaurant since our wait staff has greeted and waited on our customers for years.
OWNERSHIP
Owner/Chef
Costa Arabatzis was born in Hollywood, CA and has been in the family restaurant business since the age of eight when he began his restaurant career as Assistant Dishwasher. He rose quickly (usually standing on top of a milk crate) to Assistant Manager and Cook while apprenticing in his father’s California restaurant.
Costa began his formal education at Utah State and The University of Colorado – Denver in their hotel and restaurant management program.
In 1986, Costa and his father opened the Greek Bistro in Maui, Hawaii which is still thriving. After Maui, Costa moved to Dallas in 1990 and in January, 1991 launched the M Street Bistro on lower Greenville. After selling the M Street Bistro to Teiichi Sakurai, friend and owner of Teppo and Tei Tei, he opened Ziziki’s Restaurant with partner Mary Cloutier Arabatzis.
Ziziki’s received “Honorable Mention” by The Dallas Morning News’ Best of Dallas Restaurant Review in January 1995 and has continued to receive positive press, including recently earning “Best Greek Restaurant – Readers Choice” and “Best Greek Restaurant – Critics Choice” by The Dallas Observer in 2007.
“A lot of people say the restaurant business is tough. It’s only tough if you
make a product that isn’t outstanding. It’s like that with any business. What
I don’t understand are restaurants that serve a dish that is only mediocre.”
“Our goal is to make every item on the menu the kind of unique, fabulous
flavor and presentation that our chefs, wait-staff and customers feel is the
very best and want to eat every day.” -- Costa Arabatzis
Owner, Wine Buyer, Customer Relations
Mary Cloutier Arabatzis is a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota and a graduate from Drake University, Des Moines, IA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Mary moved to Dallas in 1980 and was Media Supervisor at Tracy-Locke, Vice President – Media at Bozell, Inc. (currently Temerlin-McClain) and Vice President, Media Director of NWAyer Dallas.
Mary managed her own Marketing and Media Consulting business in 1991, after which she joined American Airlines as Marketing Director of their Publishing Group. She left American Airlines in 1992 to return to the advertising business as Senior Vice President at Levenson & Hill and in 1993 rejoined Temerlin-McClain (formerly Bozell, Inc.) as Group Media Director managing JCPenney’s media and promotion.
While at Temerlin-McClain, Mary helped with the concept, build, and opening of Ziziki’s Restaurant. Later in 1994 she joined Costa Arabatzis as a working owner/partner at Ziziki’s. She is responsible for all of the details at the front of the house: management of staff, sales, marketing, and the development of the wine list. Ziziki’s is proud to have been awarded “The Award of Excellence” by The Wine Spectator every year since 1995.
“My philosophy has always been to provide the best, most attentive service possible. When you combine that with great food and an intimate, casual atmosphere, you’ve created the kind of place people look forward to coming back to.”
“Customers return to Ziziki’s because of the attentive service and relationships that we have developed with them over the years. We sincerely appreciate their business and listen to their needs.” -- Mary Arabatzis
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