Given the sketchy survival rate of new restaurants, particularly in a challenging economic climate, opening two eateries in a nine-month period in the same neighborhood might seem like a risky business move. But Downtown Hollywood restaurateur Jimmy Sklavenitis banked on a tried-and-true recipe for success, and it paid off.
Sklavenitis opened The Greek Joint on Harrison Street with his brother Chris in early May of last year and then introduced diners to The Big Easy Bar and Grille on Hollywood Boulevard, which he opened Feb. 1 with business partner Chris Eberle. Both restaurants have been garnering favorable reviews from patrons and critics alike.
It’s no stroke of blind luck for Sklavenitis, who previously opened three other establishments Downtown: SAS Martini Lounge, which he has owned since 2007; Universe Café, which he owned with Eberle from 2003-07; and Taverna Yiamas, which Sklavenitis opened and sold in 2007. He learned the ropes of the restaurant business running popular Hollywood Beach eateries Giorgio’s Grill and Taverna Opa.
Sklavenitis admitted that opening a new restaurant in uncertain economic times is a risky venture.
“If it would be my first time around the block, it would definitely be a harder time than I have now,” he said.
Sklavenitis stressed the inherent benefits of introducing a restaurant concept that fills a niche while appealing to a wide market. Toward this end, The Greek Joint offers a vast array of ethnic specialties that include gyros, hummus, moussaka, souvlaki and spanakopita, as well as Buffalo wings, cheeseburgers, barbecue ribs and grilled wild Atlantic salmon.
The Big Easy specializes in New Orleans-style cuisine and live jazz and blues — a rare combination in South Broward — and also serves up a large selection of American fare. Among the menu offerings are Louisiana delicacies like jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice, shrimp or oyster po’boys, cornmeal-crusted catfish and beignets. Live music, available in the evening Wednesday through Saturday and on Sunday afternoons, is another strong draw, especially in the wake of the closing of popular downtown fixture Sushi Blues Café.
Further enhancing The Big Easy’s New Orleans vibe is a mural painted by local artist Rob Robi that wraps all around the upper part of the 6,000-square-foot restaurant’s interior and depicts revelers on a French Quarter balcony. Local diners are likely to find some of the mural’s subjects familiar, including musicians who have performed at The Big Easy, notable Hollywood businesspeople and loyal customers. Notable Downtown icons include Lisa Liotta and photographer Tom Olsen, who recently celebrated 10 years of business in the district, can be spotted in the mural.
The latter group has helped fuel Sklavenitis’ strong entrepreneurial spirit. “I’ve been around for a while, and we know quite a lot of people,” he said.
An emphasis on the human aspect of business has much to do with the success of Sklavenitis’ Downtown ventures. He believes it’s important to “hire good people and train them to be good servers.” Customers appreciate a pleasant ambiance that includes “the way they’re greeted when they come in,” Sklavenitis said. “It’s not the restaurant and bar business. It’s the hospitality business.”
Opening and running a restaurant is “not for everybody, that’s for sure,” he stressed. “It’s not glory. It’s anything but glory. You’re washing dishes, you’re cleaning floors. It’s hard work.”
Sklavenitis has chosen to invest his energy, time and money in Downtown Hollywood time and time again because of its central location and unique small town feel.
“I love Downtown Hollywood. It’s quaint,” he said. “Location-wise, we’re smack dab in the middle of everything. I think Downtown Hollywood’s got a lot of potential.”
The Big Easy Bar and Grille, at 1925 Hollywood Blvd., opens daily at 11 a.m. and closes at midnight Sunday through Tuesday and at 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, call 954-924-3006 or visit thebigeasybarandgrille.com.
The Greek Joint, at 2003 Harrison St., is open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sundays. Takeaway and delivery services are available. Call 954-929-9966 or visit thegreekjoint.com for additional information.
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