As part of our UK Cypriot Entrepreneur Series we’re delighted to feature Tasos Gaitanos and Alex Large, the founders of restaurant chain Brother Marcus. We are holding our Summer Networking Event at Brother Marcus in Spitalfields, where Tasos and Alex will talk about their journey of starting and scaling their restaurant chain.
Before the event we thought we’d ask them both a few key facts, and what they consider their biggest hospitality lesson.
Tasos – 3 Key Facts
1. Mum’s English, Dad’s Cypriot and he grew up in Crete, he then moved to Edinburgh to pursue his studies and career as a photographer, attempting to get away from the family restaurant business.
2. Tas’ passion for food comes from his family and upbringing, particularly the Eastern Mediterranean dishes that he grew up with
3. Tas co-founded Brother Marcus, in 2016, with the aim of bringing genuine hospitality and high-quality food to London. Consequently, he ended with a great team of 250 people, inspired to deliver it.
The biggest hospitality lesson:
“Resilience is everything. There have been moments when things felt impossible, whether it was opening a new site or navigating unexpected challenges. What keeps you going is a clear sense of purpose and remembering why you started. Leaning on your friends and team, learning from mistakes, and staying focused on delivering a great experience for guests is what gets you through. But pushing through and staying focused on the next small win made all the difference. Momentum is everything. Keep moving.”
Alex – 3 Key Facts
1. Originally from London, Alex spent his early years juggling creative pursuits as an actor and in between busied himself with hands-on roles in hospitality — working as a barista, bartender, and waiter, including a period at Caravan restaurants.
2. Alex’s role at Brother Marcus has grown from being the very first front-of- house team member to overseeing the commercial side of the business, including finance, operations, and people. He continues to develop his knowledge with the support of a strong team around him — all while helping shape the business alongside Tas’s inherent knowledge and passion for Eastern Mediterranean food and culture.
3. Before launching Brother Marcus, Alex had a career in acting, with some standout moments including a Star Wars Coca-Cola commercial and performing Shakespeare in the West End alongside David Walliams.
The biggest hospitality lesson:
“The biggest lesson I’ve learnt running Brother Marcus is that money is not the target — it’s the result. The target is your team progressing, your team enjoying themselves at work and thriving, your guests having a fantastic experience at whatever cost, the food, drink and hospitality being the best it can be with genuine authenticity — and the money will follow. The target is the fun stuff and the tangible stuff. Yes, be ferocious in the background about cost management, but it’s not the priority. This is what people-first means.”
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Wednesday 9th July 2025
Time: 6:30pm to 9:30pm
Venue: Brother Marcus, 2 Crispin Place, Spitalfields, London, E1 6DW
Schedule:
Welcome drinks and bites
Founders talk: Brother Marcus founders Tasos Gaitanos and Alex Large talk about their journey of starting and scaling the Brother Marcus chain
Networking drinks
Please click here where you can register for the event via Eventbrite
