The Capitalyst: Your family owned an organic farm in Ancient Corinth, and you have said that growing up, you only ever ate fruit, vegetables, and herbs directly from that land. Many chefs discover farm-to-table cooking later in their careers, but for you, it was simply everyday life. How did that deeply pure connection to produce shape your baseline understanding of flavour before you ever stepped into a professional kitchen?
Petros Dimas: Growing up around the farm shaped everything I do today. Some of my strongest memories are from Ancient Corinth, picking vegetables with my family and eating them straight from the garden. A tomato wasn’t just a tomato, it had a smell, a sweetness, a connection to the season. When you grow up like that, you learn to respect ingredients from a very young age. Even today, when I taste something, I compare it to those memories. They remind me that great cooking starts with great produce.
The Capitalyst: The morning after receiving the Michelin star, you still had to call your parents’ farm to arrange the day’s delivery. Did anything feel different, and does the star bring a new weight of responsibility to every plate that now leaves your kitchen?
Petros Dimas: To be honest, the next morning felt quite normal. I spoke with my family and we talked more about the farm and the vegetables than about the Michelin star itself. That’s the way we’ve always been. Of course, receiving the star was a huge honour for all of us, but in a kitchen you start again every day. Guests arrive with the same expectations, and you have to give your best every service. That’s what keeps you focused.
The Capitalyst: From a business perspective, expanding a highly curated concept like Makris across four distinct locations — Corfu, Crete, Milos, and Athens — is an incredible feat in brand scaling. How do you ensure that the core brand identity remains completely intact while allowing each location to adapt to its local micro-economy and regional suppliers?
Petros Dimas: For me, Makris is not about repeating the same dishes everywhere. Every destination has its own products, producers and identity. Corfu is different from Crete, Crete is different from Athens, and that’s exactly what makes it exciting. What remains the same is our philosophy: respect for the ingredient, respect for the producer and genuine hospitality. If those values are there, then Makris can exist anywhere.
The Capitalyst: Makris Athens is working toward a fully closed-loop, zero-waste system. What is the hardest part of that goal to achieve in a fine-dining environment, and how far away are you from it?
Petros Dimas: Sustainability is something we work on every day. The easy part is talking about zero waste. The difficult part is changing the way a kitchen thinks and works. We try to use every ingredient as fully as possible, whether that’s a vegetable, a fish or a piece of fruit. There is still more work to do, but I believe the future of fine dining has to be more responsible. As chefs, we have a responsibility not only to our guests, but also to nature and the people producing our ingredients.
The Capitalyst: Greek gastronomy has evolved rapidly on the global stage over the last few years. How do you define innovative Greek cuisine today, and how do you strike the right balance between honouring millennia-old culinary traditions and pushing the boundaries of modern technique?
Petros Dimas: For me, innovation doesn’t mean changing something just to make it look modern. Greek cuisine already has incredible foundations. Our ingredients, traditions and recipes have been developed over generations. The challenge is finding new ways to express those flavours while keeping their identity intact. If a technique helps us better showcase an ingredient, I will use it. If it doesn’t, then simplicity is usually the better choice.
The Capitalyst: What industry trends are you watching most closely right now — whether that is sustainability, hyper-local sourcing, wellness-led dining, or the shift toward more experiential hospitality?
Petros Dimas: I think people are looking for authenticity again. For a period, many restaurants focused on technique and presentation. Today, guests want something more personal. They want a connection to the place, the ingredients and the people behind the food. I’m also very interested in how restaurants can work more closely with local producers and ecosystems. I think that’s one of the most important conversations happening in gastronomy today.
The Capitalyst: Ten years from now, what does success look like for Petros Dimas and is it still measured in stars and awards, or in something else entirely?
Petros Dimas: I hope that in ten years I still feel excited when I discover a new ingredient or meet a producer who teaches me something I didn’t know. Awards and recognition are wonderful, and I am grateful for them, but they are not the reason I cook. If Makris can contribute, even in a small way, to the international appreciation of Greek cuisine, and if the young chefs who work with us go on to build something meaningful of their own, I would consider that a success.
