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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, May 21, 2015 | 4 Business booming for El Spero in new Bronte location by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff It was upsetting at the time, but now the coowner of El Spero family restaurant says he's thankful his business was forced to leave South Oakville Centre (formerly Hopedale Mall). Don Kotsopoulos, who runs the restaurant with his brother Steve, said El Spero is doing much better business ever since it opened at its new location at 2420 Lakeshore Rd. W., on March 4. El Spero held an official grand opening ceremony on Tuesday. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton attended the event and cut the ribbon, which officially welcomed the new business to the Bronte Village. The restaurant called Hopedale Mall home for more than 40 years, but had to close its doors on June 29, 2014 after the mall owner Calloway REIT did not renew its lease. "It turned out to be a good thing," said Kotsopoulos. "It turned out to be the best thing that happened to us." Restaurant spokesperson Isabella Murphy said El Spero has in fact been so busy, it had to put off its grand opening ceremony until now. She said the restaurant did not even have to advertise with many of the business' long-time patrons following it to its new location. El Spero restaurant, which left the former Hopedale Mall amid community opposition as its lease was not renewed, has reopened in Bronte Village and business is so brisk, it hardly had time for an official opening. Pictured at that celebration Tuesday, from left, are: El Spero's Mike Kotsopoulos, Don Kotsopoulos, Steve Kotsopoulos and Danny Kotsopoulos along with Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. | photo by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Due to the success, Kotsopoulos said he was able to re-hire about 95 per cent of the employees he had to let go when the original eatery closed. He also had to hire a number of new people to ensure the restaurant was adequately staffed. "It's very exciting," said Kotsopoulos. "Business has just been unbelievable, overwhelming. It has been great. It was a big adjustment, but we got there." Kotsopoulos said while the restaurant size is about the same as it was at the mall, he and his brother were able to design it exactly how they wanted. The menu remained almost as it was. "We didn't want to change too much of what we were," said Kotsopoulos. Residents have not only supported El Spero with their patronage, but many have also left their comments on the restaurant's Twitter page @elsperorest. Former Halton Catholic District Board chair Alice Anne LeMay remarked in her Tweet her time at the restaurant was "fabulous" and it was "great to see so many familiar staff." Customer Patti Fedoruk tweeted, "So good to see all the familiar faces. Like going home. Great!" Kotsopoulos said the new location was selected based on the knowledge many of El Spero's customers lived in the area. The community showed its support for El Spero during its last year at the mall, as residents attempted to get Calloway REIT to change its mind about lease renewal. More than 1,300 people signed an online petition on www.change.org asking the mall to retain the business while members of the nearby St. Dominic Roman Catholic Church parish started a similar petition. The Kotsopoulos brothers said they were thankful of that support since the restaurant was able to keep its doors open longer than its original September 2013 closure date through a lease extension. WE'RE LIVING IT UP AT THE VILLAGE IT'S YOUR TIME TO LIVE IT UP TOO! RATES STARTING AT 905-582-0395 3136 DUNDAS STREET WEST, OAKVILLE, ON (WEST OF BRONTE ROAD) BOOK YOUR TOUR TODAY www.palermovillageretirement.ca