diningdestinations
Butters brings successful formula to Airpark Kathy Syregelas Bitsiaras and her brother Ted Syregelas operate the new Butters restaurant in the Airpark area.
By keeping it small and consistent, restaurant builds a loyal following By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Photos by Will Powers
C
hris Syregelas knows a good thing when he sees it. A Chicago native, Syregelas watched his family find success in the restaurant business in and around his hometown, including the bustling corner of Rush and Division streets. His family started Butterfields in Illinois and, when a family member retired in Scottsdale, they brought it here. That expanded to Butters Pancakes and Cafe, a favorite of actresses, actors and members of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The restaurant recently opened a second shop in Scottsdale Airpark, at Raintree and Northsight. “It was a good location,” says Syregelas, who also owns Butterfield’s Pancake It is Hopdoddy, not “hip daddy.” “Hop” is from the hops in beer. “Doddy” is a nickname for the Black Angus cow in Scotland.
House and Restaurant in Scottsdale. “It’s killing it, numbers wise. It way surpassed what (the original) Butters did when it first opened. “We’ve been asked probably five to 10 times a month to franchise or open a restaurant somewhere in the United States or internationally. It’s an easy opportunity that we could have taken advantage of, but we don’t want to do that.”
48 | Scottsdale Airpark News October 2016
Syregelas fears that it may dilute the market, like many other restaurants have done. Limiting the business to three restaurants, Syregelas finds Butters busy each morning, but the wait goes by quickly because of the efficiency of the staff. The price point is low. Omelets start at $9.50, the signature pancakes at $6.75. “Our formula for success? We don’t mess around,” Syregelas says. “We manage our stores very tightly.” Anybody can make eggs, pancakes or omelets if they’re given enough time. Butters’ staff can make those dishes consistently great, 600 to 1,000 times a day under pressure, with a 6- to 8-minute delivery time, he says.