Stratos Pouras, 84, is one of the most successful restaurateurs in Australia, and also one of the most well-respected Greek Australians in South Australia.
Born on 22 July, 1937, the eldest son of two refugees from Asia Minor was just 15 years old when – together with his father Christos – he boarded the ship SS Toscana from the port of Pireaus to the port of Freemantle seeking a better future in Australia.
“Post-Civil War, people in Greece were struggling due to poverty and unemployment and my father, a carpenter by trade, who had already experienced financial struggles and hardship in Asia Minor, decided it was time to migrate to Australia,” Mr Stratos Pouras told Neos Kosmos.
“My mother and siblings stayed back to sell the family home so that we could afford to buy the rest of the tickets given we were not islanders and therefore not entitled to government assistance. All I can remember from the 35-day trip was the excitement I was feeling for what the future held for us and the anticipation to start a new life away from home,” Mr Pouras said.
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Down Under
Upon his arrival to Adelaide, though still a teenager, he started work in delicatessens during the day and went to school at night so that he could learn English and finish his studies.
“I felt strong, determined and invincible. Nothing was too hard and Adelaide to me represented freedom and opportunity. In a few months I went from being a young boy to a man, thirsty to explore and conquer the world.”
The hospitality industry appealed to young Stratos right away.
“I remember my first shift at the Stairway restaurant in Adelaide; that was the night I decided what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The atmosphere, the customers coming in to enjoy good food, the joy and anticipation on everyone’s face, were the deciding factors for the career that I chose to follow,” explains the restaurateur who in the meantime was introduced to his future wide Evdokia Geragoteli.
Originally from the island of Crete, Evdokia was born in Lesbos and migrated to Australia in April 1958 to marry Stratos.
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“Evdokia and I were married for 58 years before she passed away seven years ago. She was the love of my life and an absolute angel. I never made a decision without consulting with her first. She was educated and had the ability to see things others couldn’t see. She was a culinary teacher but chose to stay home to look after our three daughters. To this day, when I have a decision to make, I ask myself; what would Evdokia do if she was still here?”
The couple travelled to the US (California, New York, Chicago) and France so that Stratos could further his knowledge on food, hospitality and management.
“Sometimes I couldn’t attend every lecture, and Evdokia would attend instead to take notes for me. She was a smart and wise woman, an amazing mother and wife, and a great grandmother,” Mr Pouras said.
In 1967, he was approached by two other businessmen and together they opened one of the best seafood restaurants in Adelaide, called Swains Seafood Restaurant.
Stratos Cork & Cleaver followed in September 1978 after the three partners decided it was time to open a Steak House, to complement their successful seafood restaurant.
The Adelaide staple became a steak and seafood institution serving some of the biggest names in town.
Celebrity guests over the years include late Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, tennis great Pete Sampras, two-time grand slam champion Lleyton Hewitt, cricket legends Max Walker and Ian Chappell, plus a host of the state’s most powerful politicians, lawyers and doctors.
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But Mr Pouras’ “crowning glory” was hiring SA’s new Governor, Frances Adamson, as a part-time waitress while she was studying at university in the 1980s.
The two remain close, with Pouras attending her swearing-in ceremony at Government House recently.
“I will never forget the day 17-year-old Frances walked in here looking for a job. She was a beautiful, courteous, clever young lady and an absolutely brilliant, reliable and able employee. It was my honor to be her first boss. She was here for two or three years while she was studying, and I still miss her after all these years.”
Walking into the venue itself is like entering a time warp – in the best possible way.
The restaurant’s decor hasn’t been altered, and Mr Pouras estimates about 85 per cent of the menu is the same as day one.
“It’s about dedication to our purpose, consistent quality and value for money,” he said.
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”
End of an era
The Glenunga steak institution will close its doors for the final time next week, with the business owner retiring after more than 50 years in hospitality.
Saying goodbye to his restaurant, Cork & Cleaver, after 43 years wasn’t an easy decision for Mr Pouras — but he’s sure it’s the right one.
“We recently received an offer to buy the building and following discussions with his family, decided it was time for a well-earned rest. I consulted with my three daughters, my sons-in-law, and after a few meetings and a few disagreements, we overwhelmingly decided to go ahead and accept the offer. It’s been a fantastic experience, a fantastic life for myself and for all my loyal staff.
“We are leaving on a high… very high,” he said.
Joining him in retirement are about 15 of his 19 staff members, including his son-in-law, manager Jimmy Boutsis, 62, and head chef, Greg Favretto, 58.
The duo have been working with Mr Pouras since they were teenagers, first at his old seafood restaurant, Swains on Glen Osmond Road, and then at Cork & Cleaver.
Mr Pouras admitted it’s been emotional sharing the news of the venue’s impending closure on 18 December with their regular guests, some of whom have become very good friends.
“Every night as we tell them, I get hugs and tears… they are absolutely devastated,” he said.
“Some of them have been coming here for 40 years and if they’ve passed away, their children and grandchildren still come here. It’s been a family restaurant.”
The day after
The grandfather of seven who recently also became a great grandfather is still unsure as to what the day after the closure of his restaurant will look like, but he says he feels incredibly blessed for the life he’s had and the success he enjoyed throughout the years.
“I am really unsure as to how I will feel on the morning of the 19 December but I thank God every day for all he has given me. I really look forward to spending more time with my family and friends and I would love nothing more than to be able to travel back home to Greece and spend more time in my old neighborhood in Kokkinia, taking it all in without life rushing me this time.
“Looking back, I have no complaints or regrets. I am grateful for the love I shared with my family and friends and for the successes that came my way. On a personal level, I am proud of the family my wife and I created, and on a professional level I am mostly proud of the fact that in all those years in business, I never wronged anyone,” he said.
“I treated every single person with love, kindness and respect and to me that is the greatest success of all,” Mr Pouras concluded.