Vasileios Galizis (known as Billy) met his partner Sophie Lancelot on the island of Kos in Greece.
The couple owns the Greek horn – Telegraph & Argus Trader of the Week – which opened last year and is quickly popular with regulars, including members of the Greek community in Bradford.
Here, Billy teaches you more about business.
We are a Greek cafe in Shipley Town Centre. We got the key in November 2023 and worked hard to renovate it thanks to a grant from Shipley Town Council, and opened the door on July 1, 2024.
We offer authentic Greek cuisine made with authentic Greek ingredients shipped directly from Greece.
I am a Greek from Peloponnese, south of Athens, and serves a menu inspired by traditional Greek dishes such as Giro, Moussaka, traditional spinach and feta, gemista (stuffed vegetables), Greek salads, and Greek coffee.
Anyway, we don't dilute the taste of the food or drink. We continue to taste it in as authentic Greek as possible. It uses Greek olives and olive oil. Even bottled water is from Greece!
I also brought in a Greek cook and recreated its authentic Greek flavour. She eats the way my Yiayia (grandmother) makes it – how to make healthy, rustic and delicious foods with simple and nutritious ingredients.
Our dessert supplier is Rodoura, from Greece. We receive two delivery times a week and sell out. This is good because I cook fresh every day. Plus, it minimizes waste.
We offer a menu that offers all our customers a choice of breakfast, lunch and early dinner.
*How many staff do you have?
We have nine staff members, full-time and part-time. It will open at 8am, but is ready for opening to prepare and cook from 5:30am. Everything is prepared freshly every day.
We say we close at 4pm but it's rare to close on time as we always have last-minute orders and don't like rushing customers. You may not leave until 6:30pm.
*Do you consider your business as a part of your community?
That's very true. From the moment I opened my door last year, there was a steady stream of customers paying for the visit.
We are popular with regular customers so we have to open 7 days a week! And we will be happy to do so.
People love what we do, we are very popular in the area and we are very pleased. They appreciate the authentic Greek cafe, but they also compliment us on the quality of the food and our excellent customer service.
Customers come from all over the place. The other day I came from Leeds to order 19 of our boogassa (sweet custard pastries) and attended a Peterborough party. Or at Peterborough!
We offer indoor sitting, take-out and delivery services. They also offer outdoor catering for parties. This is also popular with regular customers.
*How did you start hospitality and catering?
I studied Greek hospitality and restaurant management and while working at Kos I met my wife Sophie, a Yorkshire native. In 2016 I received an offer from a guest in the UK to run his restaurant in King's Cross, London. At that time, I decided to work abroad.
Once I got the taste, I decided to set it up myself in Sophie's Home County. We currently have three children and are very pleased to have built our lives here at Shipley.
We decided to set up a business to work around our family. We also have reliable staff who can cover us when we are spending our family time. Yes, working with a family of five and a dog 7 days a week is a very tough job, but we love it.
The real good thing is that there are people coming from all over Bradford, but it has also been featured in the Greek community in Yorkshire, especially Bradford. They especially comment on how they feel when they eat our food, and how they don't go anywhere now.
It is a true tribute and testimony to the quality and reliability of our Greek heritage.
*What will be next for you?
Our long-term ambition is to expand our business into a chain of cafes in the future. So look for the Greek horns that will come to you!
*Greece corner, 18 Kirkgate, Shipley. Visit Tel (01274) 346929 or thegreekcornershipley.co.uk
