A new restaurant is coming to the Lehigh Valley, courtesy of a familiar face. Celebrated restaurateur George Paxos is scheduled to open Top Cut, a highly anticipated traditional steak house, at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in August.
This upscale steakhouse will be located at 2805 Center Valley Parkway. If this address is familiar to many of Paxos' patrons, that's because the building is currently home to Melt, a contemporary Italian restaurant with a stunning two-level interior. Top Cut will replace Melt's Level 3 on the third floor and feature the building's floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the Promenade.
Paxos, the owner of Melt and two other award-winning Lehigh Valley restaurants under the umbrella of Paxos Restaurants, has plenty of experience creating innovative places to dine. He most recently opened Torre, a modern take on authentic Mexican cuisine, at the Promenade Shops two years ago.
“I have a great passion for this business,” says Paxos, noting that he has dedicated his entire career to the restaurant business, starting at a very early age. “I've spent many, many years in the ‘back of the house,' what we call the kitchen. I absolutely love the business. To be successful with anything, you've got to love what you do.
I truly love what I do.”
A Diverse Palate
Paxos first opened blue, a popular grill house in Bethlehem, in 2002. He opened Melt in 2006, and Torre in 2014. Blue also underwent a substantial renovation, both cosmetically and with an updated and expanded menu, the year of its 10th anniversary.
What do these seemingly unrelated restaurants have in common? Each is a food destination featuring a modern and unique atmosphere, bold flavors and a commitment to service.
“Each restaurant has its own personality and character, specific décor and menu,” says Paxos of his company's diverse culinary options. “We've created these various concepts, but they're linked together to form a design perspective. We've strived to give people an experience that is second to none. We buy the best of ingredients, and we work so hard with our people to give all of our guests the experience they deserve when they're dining at one of our restaurants.”
Each restaurant concept has been created by collaborating with top international design firms, and Paxos is paying the same attention to detail as he prepares for the opening of Top Cut.
“It's going to be a wonderful place. We've put a lot into the design, to make sure that we give guests an incredible experience. That's very important, and design is where the concept starts,” he says.
Top Cut will feature USDA prime cuts and a selection of wet- and dry-aged steaks, as well as a robust selection of shellfish and fresh fish. Menu creation was overseen by Christopher Heath, corporate chef of Paxos Restaurants, who has worked closely with Paxos to create new dining experiences since joining Paxos Restaurants in 2006.
“I've been wanting to build a traditional steakhouse in the southern part of the Valley for a few years now,” says Paxos, noting that he was previously unable to open a steakhouse at the Promenade due to the mall's exclusive contract with the Promenade's existing steakhouse, Shula's. Shula's moved from the Promenade in 2014.
“Many of our guests have requested for years that I build a steakhouse in that part of the Valley. It escalated substantially once there was this void left by Shula's,” he says. “Once they left, I contacted our landlord and received the approval to go. I received permission to remove the third floor and build this incredible steakhouse that we're building.
“We're getting a lot of positive feedback, and I hear that guests are really looking forward to the opening,” he adds.
Humble Beginnings
Paxos began working in the restaurant industry at a young age. He has built Paxos Restaurants, and another family business, Paxos Homes, through decades of hard work and hard-earned knowledge.
“I was born in Greece, and my dad passed when I was two years old,” he says. “My mom and I came over here and we had very little. From a young age, I needed to work. I started to work in restaurants, bussing tables and washing dishes and slowly learning to cook. I have been in the restaurant business a long, long time.”
From these early experiences, Paxos discovered that he truly loved the restaurant industry. He opened the Candlelight Inn in Bethlehem with two partners in 1980.
“I've owned my own restaurant since I was 20,” he adds. “I love what I do, and I have a great passion for the business.”
The Candlelight Inn would become blue grillhouse and event center in 2002, the first restaurant and event center owned by Paxos Restaurants. The restaurant has undergone several changes since its opening 14 years ago, but it remains a reflection of what Paxos hopes to accomplish with each of his restaurants: a destination for great food and atmosphere.
While Paxos focuses most of his energy on his four restaurants, he also has a passion for real estate and joined his family's business, Paxos Homes, at the age of 15. He earned his real estate license when he was 19 years old.
“As a young child, I've always been interested in real estate,” he says. “I started as a teenager and it's something that I've always tinkered in.”
By the age of 20, while Paxos was opening his first restaurant, the Candlelight Inn, he was also managing dozens of apartments through Paxos Homes. Paxos Homes has grown substantially over the decades, with a focus on constructing high-end family homes throughout the Lehigh Valley.
Just as each Paxos restaurant is known for its exceptional quality and attention to detail, Paxos Homes prides itself in maintaining high standards for both craftsmanship and materials used
during construction.
More Than a Meal
In each of his restaurants, Paxos aims to give diners more than just great food. His philosophy, and the goal of every staff member, is to provide the “ultimate” experience and unforgettable food.
“When a guest comes to a Paxos restaurant, they're out for more than just the meal. They're here for an experience. The show is on and we have to perform. We believe in really providing the best that is available to all of our guests,” he says.
He notes that creating this ultimate experience comes down to three aims: great food, an inviting atmosphere (both from a design standpoint and in day-to-day operation) and a high-quality staff.
This third aim, to have the highest-quality staff members preparing and serving each restaurant's food, is perhaps the most important goal.
“It's the single most important ingredient,” he says. “Successful restaurants are made up of millions of large ingredients that must come together, but our employees are our greatest asset. They're very important to us.”
Thanks to Paxos' dedication to training and retaining dedicated employees, and his efforts to extend each restaurant's positive atmosphere into the kitchen, Paxos Restaurants has been named a Morning Call Top Workplace for the past two
consecutive years.
“We're blessed to have a great management team, and they do a great job in training our company's philosophy,” he says. “We want to provide a journey to those dining with our restaurant, and that journey starts with our employees.”
Paxos aims to treat his employees as important team members, perhaps even like family. But there are also several family members working full-time with the family-owned Paxos Restaurants and Paxos Homes.
“Both of my children are very involved in our businesses,” says Paxos. While George remains president of Paxos Homes, his daughter Sophia deals primarily with real estate and the operating of Paxos Homes. His son Dimitrios works closely with each restaurant in Paxos Restaurants to oversee the logistics of delivering fresh,
high-quality ingredients.
Paxos has been married to his wife Tula for more than 30 years. She worked full-time in the family's restaurants until 2007, and remains actively involved behind the scenes.
Together, the couple and their children have also remained active within the community, raising funds for local and national charities such as the American Cancer Society and The Children's Home of Easton.
“We give back as much as we can and try to stay involved with the community,” he says.
