Nasos Papanastasiou is an inspirational business owner and also a certified advance broker by Cysec. With more than 11 years of experience in the F&B industry, Nasos Papanastasiou is focused on achieving his goals and targets. Our interview with him inspired us not to give up, and consistency can lead to success.
Mr. Nasos Papanastasiou began his career in 2010 as a barista, and now he is the owner of multiple businesses. His company, “Public Café,” based in Dubai, is unique on its own. The Café allows people to enjoy delicious meals and beverages. People visit the Café for food, spend their leisure time, do meetings, and work while having a nice cup of coffee.
The journey of Nasos Papanastasiou till now has not been an easy one. However, he kept on moving forward to achieve his goals and targets. He believes that only tough people can continue in tough situations, and he goes on with this concept.
The Public Café is cozy and unique in Dubai and has an online presence on Facebook and Instagram. Below, you can see our interview with Nasos Papanastasiou himself to know more about his journey.
Explain the background of you and the company in detail.
My journey in F&B started back in Greece in 2010 when I started working in a small
cafe as a barista. I loved the job from the first moment because I have always been a social person, and I love to interact with different people. In the meantime, I started studying Hotel Management and F&B specialist in a well-known college in Athens.
Nasos Papanastasiou What are your goals?
I have a lot of goals, some daily, weekly, or monthly. I prefer to do things step-by-step but with confidence, and if my goal or target is not achieved, I cannot stop until I attain it. So, I would say that my target or goal this time is to increase my company’s value, open more Franchises, and make sure my brand is well known in Dubai and the entire UAE.
What do you feel is the biggest strength of yourself/company right now?
My company Public Café has a signature concept, with its own ID, as I like to say. It’s not just another cafeteria with snacks or food that people pass by. Public Café is a place where you can see all kinds of people – from professionals who want to work on their laptop in a quiet place, families, or business owners doing their meetings, lunch break to the influencers/bloggers that pass by very often to take a photo in our terrace and enjoy their time.
It’s about the love and passion we have for what we do, and people can see and taste it also in our hearty meals, the signature coffee blend, and of course, the traditional Greek recipes for the dish of the day that we have.
What was the path you/your company took to get to where you are today?
I can say that there is not a certain path. There is not a magic recipe for success. However, I am sure you need a lot of courage and discipline, and you should never give up when you have a clear vision for your company/brand.
As a multi-business owner in Dubai and Europe, I can tell you that I started everything almost at the same time. People were telling me, are you crazy? Why did you open all those companies at the same time? How will you handle them?
To tell you the truth, those thoughts encouraged me a lot because I was thinking, wow if people are afraid to take such big risks, to do what I do, and it’s out of their comfort zone, then I will make it happen, and I will make it look easy as well. Crazy or not, this was my thought at that moment.
Nasos Papanastasiou Why did you start (or want to be the head of) this company?
I’ve always wanted to do something mine. Back in Greece in 2015, I remember trying to make a fashion brand. After I opened a small company with my best friend, we provided services to individuals and companies and used to run from one part of Athens to the other.
I wanted to be involved in many creative concepts that were around me until I came to Dubai and finally found my way. I craved what I really wanted to do inside my head, and it just happened after some years. My partners and I took the step to open our businesses, and I am really glad that they believed in me and my powers. We created a common vision for our companies.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As I like to say, “The Leap of Faith” that I took back in 2021 was when I left my job. I came to Dubai and chose to commit and run my companies fully. I even paved the way through the pandemic and the financial difficulties that I initially faced for a couple of months.
I can say that I am happy with myself that I never backed down, and I made the correct choice for me and my future. Furthermore, as they say, “IN TOUGH SITUATIONS THE TOUGHEST PEOPLE CONTINUE.”
Give us one word that describes you the best.
Passionate, and if you allow me, then Visionaire as well.
What makes you excited about Mondays?
Every Monday, I feel very motivated because it’s a fresh start to correct mistakes and move one step forward in your personal growth or business development.
What do you value most about your culture and vision?
As a Greek, I am a very proud person, not only for the long history of my country and our culture but also for how we think when it’s up to the business. My vision is to be a well-known entrepreneur and a successful business owner for many countries and show the younger Greeks that everything can happen if they have a clear vision and work for it.
Tell us about a project that forced you to be innovative and creative.
One of the projects that helped me be very creative is the company that I have in Cyprus. It’s called Tremendous Growth. It’s a consulting company that helps young business owners and entrepreneurs learn about investments in the stock markets and real estate and achieve personal growth through life coaching or business mentorship workshops. We also train them with seminars, webinars, and provide our services for specific countries such as Cyprus, Greece, and Dubai.
What are your company’s strategies, and how do they stand unique from your competitors?
The strategy is pretty simple, hearty meals, good ingredients, correct marketing, targeting, and most importantly, the team! Our team consists of 22 very professional and hardworking individuals who love what they do and think of the stores as their stores. As my clients are telling me, “You have the best team of employees in Dubai. They are so kind, helpful and extremely professional”.
What are the key values that helped you overcome the roadblocks/challenges in your career? Tell us something about your memorable incident in your leadership?
As I remember from 2018, when I was working in a big Brokerage House in the stock market, my mindset completely changed. My mentor and manager helped me a lot to think out of the box and maintain and develop the same way of thinking for my team. Motivation and vision are clearly a big part of it.
How do you see the company changing in two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?
Hopefully, 2 years from now, I want all my companies to grow, even more, especially Public Café. We want to expand our unique concept more inside the country but also in different countries of the GCC region. The way to achieve that is to keep our quality top-level, increase our marketing, and seize the opportunities that come in our way.
Where is your leadership going? What benefits do your clients get from your company in this competitive world?
I like the word “Leader” more than the word “Boss.” It’s because this is who I am. During the day or under pressure, I will help and support them in any way possible, from serving the food, making the coffees, staying at the cashier, or even washing the dishes if my guys are super busy. That’s something that the team also appreciates. It builds trust and respect among us. Furthermore, a great leader must inspire respect and not fear.
What services/solutions or products are offered by your company at par with the current industry standards? Tell us something about your upcoming products or services?
This is something I don’t want to reveal for now, but I have many concepts coming this month. Things that people have never tasted and never heard before, and it’s going to surprise them positively. Just be around our social media pages in Public Café and Beast Burger (By Public Café), and you will see soon enough.
Public Café