Brooklyn Dumpling Shop Names New COO

By: Brooklyn Dumpling Shop | 0 Shares 314 Reads

Dumpling restaurant appoints Michael Liristis as COO

March 03, 2023 // Franchising.com // New York, NY - Brooklyn Dumpling Shop today introduces Michael Liristis as its new chief operating officer (COO).

As the newly appointed COO, Liristis will lend his years of restaurant industry experience to support Brooklyn Dumpling Shop.

A quick-service restaurant, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop was founded by New York City restauranteur Stratis Morfogen, and has grown to new heights in partnership with Fransmart. The restaurant has a contactless ordering system, bringing back the Automat model of yesteryear while incorporating the technology of today. State-of-the-art temperature-controlled food lockers offer ease and safety for guests to pick up orders at peak freshness.

"Michael and I share a Greek heritage, and he has proven himself as a powerhouse in operations, playing a crucial role in elevating Brooklyn Dumpling Shop to the next stage,” says Brooklyn Dumpling Shop founder Stratis Morfogen. “I’ve had the privilege of watching Michael's career grow to the true force he is today within the hospitality industry. When the opportunity arose to bring him on board as COO, it was a no-brainer.”

A native and longtime resident of New York, Liristis grew up as a part of his family restaurant business, where he learned every aspect of the industry. As the business grew and expanded into Greece, he saw firsthand the possibilities of making his own dreams in hospitality a reality. His professional career began with the Livanos Restaurant Group, where he had hand-on training in fine dining at 2- and 3-star establishments. While working toward his certification as a master sommelier, he further expanded his knowledge and expertise in fine wine, winery operations, and hospitality, ultimately opening two restaurants of his own, NISI and Quench Wine Shop.

As Liristis’ career progressed, he became drawn into the quick service industry, where he deepened his experience with brands such as Bare Burger, Elevation Burger and Shake Shack. He also worked with Kitopi, energizing the startup with a build-out of multi-unit restaurant operations, and Jersey Mike’s (Prospect Capital Group).

Liristis’ reputation led him to connect with the Serafina Management Group, where he was a part of the visionary team opening stores with Serafina, Farinella, Serafina Express, and Cafe Serafina. It was at this point that he connected with Morfogen to join Brooklyn Dumpling Shop.

"I’ve worked with quite a few restaurants in my time; looking back, I can see they were all preparing me to take this exciting new role with Brooklyn Dumpling Shop,” says Liristis. “I appreciate Stratis’ confidence in me to run with the many ideas I have for growing this brand. The sky is truly the limit for this innovative concept, and we can’t wait to bring its delicious menu and automat technology to neighborhoods nationwide.”

Liristis has now worked with the team for a several months. Says Morfogen, “In a short time, Michael has helped us reach a next level. Our franchisees are overwhelmingly excited to work with him and tap into his extensive knowledge and experience growing restaurant brands.”

SOURCE Brooklyn Dumpling Shop

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