Ones to Watch
News | Jun 11, 2022
Meet the leaders mapping our industry’s future.
By Michael Kaminer
Despite the pandemic and troubled global situations, this is turning out to be an incredible year for Greek cuisine and the people behind it. Restaurants are opening at a record pace again. Awareness keeps growing as Greek food continues mainstreaming. And our cuisine has never felt more on-trend as diners embrace healthier habits.
With this bright future in mind, Estiator is proud to present our inaugural “Ones to Watch” list. We’ve spoken to restaurateurs, executives, and other industry sources to identify leaders shaping the future of our industry, each in their own way. Some work locally; others have built national profiles. We’re proud to spot-light them here.
Ari Ziogas
Operating Partner & Director of Digital Initiatives
Matthew Zitsos
Operator & Purchasing Director
A leading Greek quick-service brand, Showmars now boasts 33 locations and nearly 1,000 employees across the Carolinas. A 20-year veteran of the restaurant business, Ari Ziogas has been with Showmars for a decade. As director of digital initiatives, he leads the company’s digital strategy from online ordering and mobile app/ pay to its loyalty program. “My heart is and has always been in the restaurant business. That said my greatest sense of pride in working with Showmars comes from the relationships our staff creates with customers and the community as a whole,” he says.
With technology driving the restaurant industry, “Showmars depends on Ziogas’s knowledge and creativity to ensure the company stays ahead of the constantly evolving digital arena,” a spokesperson says. During the pandemic, Ziogas’s expertise was essential to Showmars’ ability to pivot operations within a matter of weeks— focusing on digital capabilities through its online ordering and app to ensure Showmars could serve customers during a very uncertain time. Matthew Zitsos has been with Showmars for more than five years, serving as an operator and Showmars purchasing director. “I love working for Showmars and being able to represent my family’s Greek heritage and culinary craft. Our culture is known for its commitment to local communities through cuisine, and this is something that Show-mars takes to heart,” he says. Navigating supply chain issues over the past 12 to 18 months has been one of our industry’s biggest challenges; Zitsos has been a leader in this area, steering the Showmars team through shortages, price hikes, and more. “We lean on Matthew’s knowledge, expertise and relationships to continue to guide us through this territory,” a spokesperson says.
During the pandemic, Zitsos also helped lead the company’s Grocery Essentials Program, which allowed Showmars to sell and deliver essential products, like chicken, paper towels, milk, etc., to the immune-compromised, elderly and families. “Matthew saw that our supplier was inundated with product due to restaurant closures and helped find a way to not only alleviate that problem but serve our customers in a new way, while also creating an additional revenue stream for Showmars,” the spokesperson says.
