Theo Kostoglou Bio

A CULINARY JOURNEY FROM THE GREEK COAST TO THE GOLD COAST

At the age of 12, Theo Kostoglou ignited what was to become his lifelong passion for Greek food, when he began work in his parents’ take-away shop. By age 14, he was the main grill cook, with loyal customers requesting him specifically to make their orders.
It was then, that John Kostoglou realised his son’s part-time job, was to become his lifelong career.
After completing high school and university studies, Theo travelled to Greece, studying the art of cooking and refining his skills. In 1989 he began work at Nobel restaurant on the island of Rhodes, before moving to the Coral restaurant, then finally to Platanos on the island of Kos, his parents’ birthplace.
In 1993 at the age of 26, Theo returned to Melbourne to open his first restaurant, Lindos Greek Tavern in Niddrie. At Lindos there was a never-ending struggle to find skilled Greek chefs. Theo trained a team of apprentices himself, building a staff-base of skilled chefs to produce award-winning cuisine.
After the success of his first restaurant, Theo opened a second Lindos in South Melbourne, followed by two more restaurants opening in suburban Melbourne.
At this time, Theo began to fuse Greek cuisine with Mediterranean influences. It was a fortuitous time as Theo also met his future wife, Sharelle, who managed front of house operations at the Ringwood restaurant.
In 2004, Theo and Sharelle travelled to Greece and Turkey on a culinary journey, meeting with chefs and restaurateurs to trade cooking secrets.
Two years later, Theo and Sharelle fulfilled their dream of building a restaurant from the ground up. Together with architects EAT they designed Mykonos, a restaurant set to transport diners from the heart of Melbourne, to the islands of Greece.
With Mykonos a success, Theo dreamed of taking Greek cuisine to a new style and class. From that desire, Kouzina Modern Greek & Meze Bar was born, opening its doors in 2006 in Melbourne city.
Kouzina, the Greek word for ‘kitchen’, offered an infusion of traditional flavours with the modern, showcasing the best that Greek cuisine has to offer. Using only the best local and imported produce, Kouzina cemented its place in the Melbourne dining scene.
The following year, the second Kouzina opened at Westfield Doncaster, with their Mykonos restaurant at Knox O-Zone rebranded to Kouzina in 2008. Later the same year, Kouzina Watergardens was launched, in the new dining precinct called ‘Station StrEat’.
Towards the end of 2009, Theo and Sharelle, along with their children, packed up their Melbourne residence and made a sea change, opening a new Kouzina on the Gold Coast.  Kouzina on ‘The Promenade’, at the prestigious Robina Town Centre shopping mecca, introduced Queenslanders and tourists alike, to modern meze dining at its best.
The award-winning restaurant group continues to shine, taking out the State Category for ‘Best Greek Restaurant’ in this year’s I Love Food Awards, in both Queensland and Victoria.
Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence 2010 Gold Coast named Kouzina Robina finalist for ‘Best New Restaurant’, a glowing recommendation for the restaurant, set to be a culinary star in the sunshine state.