Taki Kastanis – Yolk. founder
Great food, unique dishes and fantastic service all delivered to you with a smile. That’s the Yolk experience. And it’s been that way since 2006 when Taki Kastanis founded his first Yolk in Chicago with innovative food and a great customer experience in mind. Today Yolk is still delivering unique and innovative dishes to thousands and thousands of loyal customers each week. But the story did not start there.
Mr. Kastanis was “born” into the restaurant business, growing up with hard-working parents who owned up to ten family-oriented eateries. As a child, Taki was often seen doing his homework in a booth at one of the restaurants while waiting for his parents to finish work. In his teen years, Taki happily put in his time at the family diners, working after school, weekends, and whenever his parents needed him. At the age of 20, Taki took a break from school to open his first breakfast and lunch concept.While it was a learning experience at such a ripe age, he sold it about a year later and returned to business school. After attending the University of Illinois for three years, Taki went on to get his Real Estate broker’s license and subsequently began a career in the real estate industry. However, with the restaurant business in his blood, it was hard to stay away. At the age of 24, he returned to the food industry by purchasing an existing restaurant in a northwest suburb of Chicago. After a year and a half, Taki sold that property and decided to turn his attentions to honing what was to become the Yolk concept – one that he knew would have an urban appeal. |
In 2006, Taki opened his first Yolk restaurant in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood and never looked back. It didn’t take long before the Yolk concept of upscale breakfast and lunch fare took off in a big way, resulting in the opening of several more Yolk locations in downtown Chicago.
Yolk quickly became incredibly popular with locals and tourists alike, so popular in fact that the media couldn’t help but take notice the Zagat rated establish- ments won “Best Breakfast” in 2008 from Citysearch.com, voted “#1 breakfast” by Fox News viewers in Chicago that same year and featured on the cover of the spring/summer 2010 edition of Dining Out Chicago Magazine. Fast-forward to today and you will find Yolk continuing to grow and expand its unique establish-ment in upscale urban locations, not only across Chicago, but in other markets and cities across the country. Yolk’s Test Kitchen opens in Bucktown - owner of Yolk promises elevated coffee program and unique menu This week the Chicago restaurant staple, Yolk, opens their new Test Kitchen in Chicago’s Bucktown neighbor-hood. Located at 1767 N. Milwaukee Ave on the corner of Milwaukee Ave and the bustling 606 Trail, the concept will bring together Yolk’s local and national business partnerships and produce an opportunity to test exciting menu items, experiment with new coffee blends, and finally allow for the community to partake in coffee education and menu innovation.
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Highlighting an elevated, multi-roaster coffee bar, coffee enthusiasts will be able to choose from a variety of beans from Metropolis Coffee Roasters and Verve Coffee Roasters for their morning or afternoon coffee. “Our coffee program will feature selected coffees from some of our favorite roasters and brewed with methods that are both classic and cutting-edge.”, says Yolk’s new Beverage Director Scott Bufis. Yolk’s Test Kitchen will also feature a new seasonally rotated dining menu centered around breakfast and lunch. The menu will have inventive dishes using only the highest quality ingredients, while providing a comforting experience that customers have come to love and identify with at Yolk. Together, the elevated coffee bar, and seasonal menu, will set Yolk’s Test Kitchen apart from any of the competition.
“The food and coffee industry has evolved tremendously since we first opened our doors in Chicago over 10 years ago. This is our opportunity to spread our wings and evolve our focus with an incredible new coffee and food program designed to remind you that we care about delighting everyone who walks in the door at Yolk’s Test Kitchen” said Taki Kastanis, CEO and founder. Since opening the first Yolk in 2006 in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood, Yolk has expanded to 13 locations in Chicago, Indianapolis, Dallas, and Fort Worth. Looking ahead for the rest of 2018 and into 2019, Yolk will continue its expansion plans further in Chicago as well as new markets in Boca Raton and Miami. For more information about Yolk’s Test Kitchen or Yolk, as well as all media inquiries please visit www.eatyolk.com or contact Gianluca Pesce at [email protected] |
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