Restaurant Name: Delphi Greek Restaurant and Bar
Owner: Roozbeh and Rana Farahanipour (Husband & Wife)
Location: Westwood, CA
Number of Seats: 40-45
Number of Staff Per Shift: 2 front of house, 2 kitchen staff
Busiest: Weekend Dinner Service
Roozbeh Farahanipour is the owner and operator of Delphi Greek Restaurant and Bar. The restaurant opened in1985 and he became the third owner of the restaurant when he purchased it in 2009. Roozbeh bought the restaurant shortly after he fled Iran and sought political asylum in the United States. He had always wanted to own and run a business, so when he had the opportunity, he jumped at the chance! Almost 95% of the menu is authentic Greek cuisine. Roozbeh worked closely with the Greek Consulate in Los Angeles to make sure every dish on the menu stays true to the culture. He proudly believes their restaurant is the last authentic Greek dining experience in the city, ironically, run by Persian owners!
Delphi weathered the pandemic successfully, but soon after, the restaurant faced a string of major setbacks. In a short period, it endured a kitchen fire, a flood, the need for complete stove replacements, and the heartbreaking loss of its head chef to cancer. Following the chef’s passing, Rana, Roozbeh’s wife and co-owner, stepped in to support the sous chef in the kitchen. She was once a renowned pastry chef, bringing her expertise to the restaurant by crafting authentic Greek desserts. However, after the kitchen fire, she developed a fear of cooking and has not returned to the kitchen since. She is too afraid. It’s a shame too, because they had originally made everything from scratch but now have to scale it back to semi-homemade.
The restaurant is struggling to keep things running smoothly, and both the staff and guests are feeling the impact. Without strong leadership in the kitchen, clear communication, and consistent standards, the work environment has become stressful and unstable. Internal conflicts, issues with cleanliness, and a lack of accountability have made it hard to keep customers happy and coming back. Roozbeh and Rana are determined to bring their restaurant back to the vibrant, welcoming place it once was. Recently, the restaurant celebrated 40 years in business - a huge milestone - but they know that without major changes, the restaurant might not see its 41st year. They’ve tried everything they can on their own, and now they feel like they’re at the end of their rope, hoping for the right support to turn things around.
RESTAURANT ISSUES
No “real” chef- The restaurant currently operates without a dedicated chef. Previously, all menu items were prepared from scratch, with Rana personally overseeing the kitchen. Following the fire, however, she stopped her involvement entirely. As a result, some authentic Greek dishes are now outsourced due to the kitchen staff’s limited experience with traditional preparation methods. This has led to inconsistent food quality: dishes are sometimes overcooked or burnt, while other times they are undercooked and sent back by customers.
Cultural and Management Challenges- There is a noticeable clash of cultures and personalities in how the restaurant is managed. The owners tend to be very demanding and expect tasks to be done in a highly specific way. However, they think that the staff is lazy and not working hard enough. There’s often times the owners find servers and staff taking smoking breaks, ignoring customers, showing up late and not doing what needs to be done to maintain a normal dining service.
Show Up When They Want!- Servers no longer request time off and either tell owners the day before or just don’t show up to their assigned shifts. They frequently swap swifts with each other causing confusion throughout the restaurant. Oh, and sometimes, servers complain of not receiving their paychecks on time.
Cleanliness and Attention to Detail- Overall cleanliness is a recurring issue. Staff don’t always follow proper hygiene practices. Yes, there is a dishwasher who is known to be smelly—so much so that they’ve told him multiple times that he needs to do something about the body odor.
Food Quality: Jorge, one of the cooks, has had to step in more than once to prevent vegan customers from being served meat dishes. Plates have even been sent back for being dirty, showing that attention to detail in the kitchen and dining area needs serious improvement.
Mother knows best- Roozbeh’s mother plays an active role during dinner service. She is often found telling people what to do in the kitchen. People find it annoying and not helpful, but what can they do? She’s the owner’s mother! She is outspoken and shares her opinions openly with both employees and customers.
Employee theft- Roozbeh believes that some employees have been stealing food, cash, and even time on the clock. Staff have been caught sleeping during their shifts or taking multiple smoke breaks in less than four hours. Owners have noticed that the sales at the bar and the inventory are not lining up.
Liquor license but no cocktails? They are one of the only restaurants in the area with a liquor license, but they have no bartender and no cocktail program. They could be making a killing if they could implement a top-notch cocktail, beer and wine list.