| Leland, NC
Q&A with Lou Moshakos
by Michelle Macken
When LM Restaurants acquired Atlantic Quest Corporation in March 2008, several of the Cape Fear Coast’s best run restaurants — Eddie Romanelli’s in Wilmington and Leland, Henry’s in Wilmington, and The Oceanic and Bluewater in Wrightsville Beach — changed ownership.
LM Restaurants is the parent company of several award-winning restaurant concepts, including Carolina Ale House, Taverna Agora and Bentley’s at Crossroads. Carolina Ale House is a family-friendly, sports-themed concept with six locations in the Triangle, two locations in Columbia, South Carolina, and two in Florida.
In October NBM sat down with LM Restaurants President Lou Moshakos, along with his wife, Joy, and their daughter, Amber. We quickly learned that the Mushakoses are friendly, down-to-earth people with a drive and passion for the restaurant business. Lou is a very energetic and passionate man and he talks about his restaurants with enthusiasm.
NBM: “What brought you to buy the Atlantic Quest group of restaurants?”
LM: “My family and I have been vacationing down here in Wilmington for years. We went to Bluewater at Wrightsville Beach every time we visited. During one dinner I remember saying to my wife, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to own a piece of property like this one day?’ Then one day early this year I got the call from the broker who was representing the sellers of the Atlantic Quest holdings. We met in Cary and he presented me with the whole deal and I thought it was one deal that I could NOT pass up.”
NBM: “What kind of changes are in store for the coastal restaurants?”
LM: “We have already put some menu changes in place for all the restaurants, and we are working on implementing more of those. We have expanded the hours at Eddie Romanelli’s in Leland to be open for lunch, and we are doing some major renovations to Bluewater, including a new roof, bathrooms, awnings and installing floor to ceiling windows in the upstairs lounge.”
NBM: “Atlantic Quest was a family-run company prior to this acquisition. Will it still be run that way?”
LM: “Yes. LM Restaurants is a very family-oriented company as well, and that is why I think this is such a good fit. As you can see, my wife and
NBM: “With the expansion to the coastal market, how many employees are you responsible for now?”
LM: “1,600 employees. I normally don’t stress out a lot, but the other day, it was 5 am and I got up and got on the treadmill. My wife got up and asked me what I was doing, and I said to her, ‘I am responsible for 1,600 people. They have to pay their rent and feed their families and it’s up to us to help them do that.’ So yes, sometimes reality hits and I realize – I am responsible for 1,600 people! I just hope we can get the economy situation figured out, because it really makes you sit back and wonder if your money is safe.”
NBM: “When was LM Restaurants started?”
LM: “We started in 1987 in Florida.”
NBM: “When did LM move to North Carolina?”
LM: “1992.”
NBM: “Carolina Ale House is a popular sports-themed restaurant in the Raleigh area. Any plans on bringing that concept to the Wilmington area?”
LM: “Yes, as a matter of fact, we have been looking for the right time and location for quite some time now, and it’s only a matter of time before we start to work on that.”
NBM: “Any inspiring last words?”
LM: “You always get back what you put into something. I believe in that.” daughter both work with me side by side and hand in hand in a lot of the day to day decisions with the restaurants. This is our life and we love every second of it.”
by Michelle Macken
When LM Restaurants acquired Atlantic Quest Corporation in March 2008, several of the Cape Fear Coast’s best run restaurants — Eddie Romanelli’s in Wilmington and Leland, Henry’s in Wilmington, and The Oceanic and Bluewater in Wrightsville Beach — changed ownership.
LM Restaurants is the parent company of several award-winning restaurant concepts, including Carolina Ale House, Taverna Agora and Bentley’s at Crossroads. Carolina Ale House is a family-friendly, sports-themed concept with six locations in the Triangle, two locations in Columbia, South Carolina, and two in Florida.
In October NBM sat down with LM Restaurants President Lou Moshakos, along with his wife, Joy, and their daughter, Amber. We quickly learned that the Mushakoses are friendly, down-to-earth people with a drive and passion for the restaurant business. Lou is a very energetic and passionate man and he talks about his restaurants with enthusiasm.
NBM: “What brought you to buy the Atlantic Quest group of restaurants?”
LM: “My family and I have been vacationing down here in Wilmington for years. We went to Bluewater at Wrightsville Beach every time we visited. During one dinner I remember saying to my wife, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to own a piece of property like this one day?’ Then one day early this year I got the call from the broker who was representing the sellers of the Atlantic Quest holdings. We met in Cary and he presented me with the whole deal and I thought it was one deal that I could NOT pass up.”
NBM: “What kind of changes are in store for the coastal restaurants?”
LM: “We have already put some menu changes in place for all the restaurants, and we are working on implementing more of those. We have expanded the hours at Eddie Romanelli’s in Leland to be open for lunch, and we are doing some major renovations to Bluewater, including a new roof, bathrooms, awnings and installing floor to ceiling windows in the upstairs lounge.”
NBM: “Atlantic Quest was a family-run company prior to this acquisition. Will it still be run that way?”
LM: “Yes. LM Restaurants is a very family-oriented company as well, and that is why I think this is such a good fit. As you can see, my wife and
NBM: “With the expansion to the coastal market, how many employees are you responsible for now?”
LM: “1,600 employees. I normally don’t stress out a lot, but the other day, it was 5 am and I got up and got on the treadmill. My wife got up and asked me what I was doing, and I said to her, ‘I am responsible for 1,600 people. They have to pay their rent and feed their families and it’s up to us to help them do that.’ So yes, sometimes reality hits and I realize – I am responsible for 1,600 people! I just hope we can get the economy situation figured out, because it really makes you sit back and wonder if your money is safe.”
NBM: “When was LM Restaurants started?”
LM: “We started in 1987 in Florida.”
NBM: “When did LM move to North Carolina?”
LM: “1992.”
NBM: “Carolina Ale House is a popular sports-themed restaurant in the Raleigh area. Any plans on bringing that concept to the Wilmington area?”
LM: “Yes, as a matter of fact, we have been looking for the right time and location for quite some time now, and it’s only a matter of time before we start to work on that.”
NBM: “Any inspiring last words?”
LM: “You always get back what you put into something. I believe in that.” daughter both work with me side by side and hand in hand in a lot of the day to day decisions with the restaurants. This is our life and we love every second of it.”
