By Delainey Muscato – St. Bonaventure University
It has always been a dream of Shirlene Miller’s to own her own restaurant, and now she does! On January 1st of this year, Miller took ownership of the restaurant Demetri’s on the Lake in Dunkirk. She’s very excited about everything this new venture has to offer and can’t wait for the grand reopening this Friday, February 2. Demetri’s originally opened in 1990 under Demetrios Tsirtsakis’s ownership.
Miller’s story with Demetri’s began when she was 16. She began as a server and then in the 90’s became the general manager of the restaurant. Once Miller was married and started thinking about having children, she decided it would be best for her and her family if she left Demetri’s. “I was working 6 days a week, 12 hours a day,” she said. The time she spent at the restaurant just wasn’t feasible for her growing family.
However, Miller still wanted to work. So, 10 years ago Miller purchased an apparel store from its previous owner. Miller’s Apparel and Custom Printing is located just four minutes away from Demetri’s on the Lake. The apparel shop allowed her the flexibility she needed to raise her kids. “I never missed a game. I never missed cheerleading. I never missed a sick day where I had to pick them up. I got to raise them 110%,” Miller said.
After so long away from Demetri’s, 23 years to be exact, Miller is super excited to get back to it. While her apparel shop did allow her to be an involved mother, she said, “it’s a bit like factory work”. Miller is excited for the people she will get to see every day at the restaurant. “I miss people. When my kids went off to college, I went back to looking for a restaurant,” Miller shared.
Miller is not looking to change much about the restaurant. The building itself will receive some updates from the actual building owner. As for the menu, not a lot is changing there either. Miller says she’d like to keep as many of the original Greek entrées on the menu. “Demetrios has shown me how he made all of them, so I can keep them as close as possible [to the original],” Miller said. That being said, she does plan to add her own touches to the restaurant. “I do different specials every day, different soups every day,” she said. Miller also plans to create a website for the restaurant. The web address will be demetrisrestaurant.net.
Because Dunkirk is right on the shores of Lake Erie, the summers are a very busy time. A lot people return for the summer or come to visit to enjoy the lake in the warmer weather and events held in the town. Though some people might be bothered by the busier streets, Miller loves this time of year. “The summers on the lake are just amazing. We get the boaters and the tourists, too. It’s just so much fun to meet new people,” she said. This summer, Miller shared, they are hoping to try out some new seafood dishes.
Miller has always wanted to own a restaurant or small café because she loves to cook. But she shared how difficult it would have been with young children. In order to maintain her apparel shop while owning Demetri’s, Miller would like to hire a manager for the apparel shop. She is also thinking about selling or leasing it.
Miller is extremely excited for the grand opening and everything that comes after. Though she will retire after her five-year lease ends, she plans to make the most of her time as owner of Demetri’s for her customers, staff, and herself.
Caption: Because Dunkirk is right on the shores of Lake Erie, the summers are a very busy time. A lot people return for the summer or come to visit to enjoy the lake in the warmer weather and events held in the town. Though some people might be bothered by the busier streets, Miller loves this time of year. “The summers on the lake are just amazing. We get the boaters and the tourists, too. It’s just so much fun to meet new people,” she said. This summer, Miller shared, they are hoping to try out some new seafood dishes.