The Bekarei in Prenzlauer Berg is crowded at any time – how do you juggle job and family life, when you are the owner of such a hotspot? We talked to him, and George told us how he dealt with the threat of his business going bankrupt, how he trusted his gut to save it, and how he found his way back to enjoying time off work.
George, when we arrive at the Bekarei early in the morning on weekends, you are always on your way out. Work overnight and family – does that work?
George: It’s difficult. Most of the time I work at nights and go home at seven or eight in the morning. That’s when everybody at home is just getting up. But no matter what, I have to have breakfast before I lay down to sleep, preferably eggs and bacon. Really, I can’t sleep without it.
Hauptstadtmutti: Are you able to enjoy your family during the day?
George: I wake up to a quite normal day, actually. Often I go pick up my son Leolo (9) from school and we do something together. Also I have time for my family on Saturdays and Sundays, as I don’t work overnight on the weekends that often anymore. When we first started to run the Bekarei it was a huge problem, because I didn’t have a chance to see my family at all. That was hard.
Hauptstadtmutti: When was that?
George: Eight years ago. We only sold pre-fabricated products back then. But that didn’t work at all! We had to decide whether to close the store or to try something new. So I started to bake.
Hauptstadtmutti: Just like that? Did you have any experience?
George: I had always loved to cook and bake, however never professionally. But then I just started to do it, with just a few items in the beginning. Every day was a surprise – sometimes it was great, sometimes it was a catastrophe. But it just got better and better. I started to bake more and more items and people loved it!
Hauptstadtmutti: When did you know you had warded off bankruptcy?
George: About half a year later it became clear that we’d made it.
Hauptstadtmutti: Fast!
George: Yes, we were back to zero – no more debts, not yet profit – but success was written all over the horizon. After worrying through a lot of sleepless nights or waking up soaked in sweat with an idea of how to possibly save my business, I felt awesome again and became entirely taken up with the baking. The problem before was, that I wanted to implement my ideas as fast as possible – too fast and too hastily. Eventually the time was ripe, and meanwhile we don’t sell any pre-fabricated products anymore but make everything ourselves. With reliable quality, that is. It was very hard to get to the point where we are now, but I walked every step with great passion.
Hauptstadtmutti: Your product line is inspired by Greek and Portuguese influences, because you are Greek and your wife is from Portugal. How do you manage the family business?
George: It wouldn’t work at all if it wasn’t for my wife. Frankly she is doing all the hard work.
Hauptstadtmutti: Nothing works without women, right?
George: Absolutely. She’s got my back by doing all the dirty work: paper work, personal management, buying and selling … she does all the organizing. I’m still working hard of course, sometimes 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week. But thanks to her support I can enjoy it.
Hauptstadtmutti: No burn-out in sight?
George: That already happened! At one point I just broke down, without any warning. Back then I realized that I had to change something. So I started to work less. I just wanted my family back. When I grew up my parents were immigrant workers, I never actually saw my dad. He tried to make up for it by buying me presents. I didn’t want to end up like that, I wanted a real family life. So I changed my ways in order to get it.
Hauptstadtmutti: That’s always the problem when you do what’s your passion: It’s hard to draw the lines between job and family life. You were able to set priorities in time, good for you!
George: Well, I had to learn it! In the beginning I just put more and more time and work into my business without ever stopping.
Hauptstadtmutti: We’ve been seeing your wife a lot at the store lately.
George: Yes, after all, it’s her shop too. In fact it was her wish to open it in the first place. We had a bar back then, the Eka, but the audience in Prenzlauer Berg had changed a lot. Now it’s mostly families, nobody goes out at night anymore.
Hauptstadtmutti: In exchange you have a huge audience now. It must work out exceptionally well for you: you have a great assortment, there’s always a long line of customers…
George: Indeed, it’s going very well. I feel like we’re really in place now. That’s why we’re thinking about opening a second shop. We’re looking for a place that’s not been flooded with offerings like ours yet.
Hauptstadtmutti: So you have energy left, yes? What’s your secret? How do you recharge your batteries?
George: Lots of sports, I run and I box. I even ran the Berlin half marathon. However, sometimes I just like to chill, bumming around on the sofa, watching the ceiling or reading a book. Without these breaks I couldn’t go on working.
Hauptstadtmutti: What couldn’t you live as a man without?
George: Friendship! It’s very important to me to be able to meet up with my buddies and talk. I need the freedom to do things not related to family or work or the couch. Without permission from my wife, that is. Luckily she really gets me and grants me these timeouts. Also I couldn’t live without sports or the adventures with my son.
Fotografie & Interview: Claudia Kahnt Text: Yvonne Vávrá
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