In his first year as the owner of Kismet in Orland Park, Daniel Canter said he prides himself on a fresh-never-frozen goal when running his restaurant – and the Shepard High School graduate has kept that consistent.
The 47-year-old restaurant’s bratwurst, Italian sausage and beef now come fresh from Chicago Ridge butcher Jack & Pat’s and are then cooked at the shop at 9931 W. 151st St.
Its famous gyros are made with “top tier” meat from Kronos, and the frozen custard is made in house. Soon, its chicken tenders will have a homemade recipe.
This quality and a growing menu, Canter said, keep customers coming back.
“We roll out daily specials, we change our soups around, we introduce new menu items and keep everybody on their toes,” said Canter, 53. “Then, we get feedback from the public: Is it something that they like? Is it something that they didn’t like? So far, so good.”
The Worth native, who now lives in LaGrange, had worked in the real estate market for 22 years prior to his restaurant endeavor
He said that his team of six employees serve about 80 customers a day and he hopes to get that number up to 100 in the coming year.
The most popular Kismet items are gyros, burgers and grilled chicken. Daily specials and new sandwiches, with the latest featuring pork tenderloin and chicken parmesan, roll out frequently and are promoted on the restaurant’s growing social media.
With about every chain imaginable located a quick drive away on LaGrange Road, Canter said his small business has much to offer that locals can’t find at corporate stores.
“We’re not following specific recipe cards like they do,” he said. “Plus, I hire the kids from the local high school and collaborate with them on different ideas. They’ve been fantastic in terms of new custard flavors that we’re creating.”
Being able to go “outside the box” allows Kismet to cater to customers the best it can, Canter said. “My motto is, if a customer comes in and says, ‘Hey, can you do this for me?’ If I can do it, we do it. There are no rules that say, ‘Oh, no, you can’t do that.’ People love that.”
Regulars and newbies seem to think this motto rings true, as Canter noted the community has been supportive of him and his business this past year, with generations of customers continuing to come back and enjoy the classics.
“I love the fact that they make it a point to support small businesses,” Canter said. “They tell me stories from 35, 40 years ago when they were kids and they came in there, and then their kids came in there. Now their kids live out of state, so whenever they’re back in town, they always come by.”
Canter will be celebrating his first anniversary as owner on Jan. 10.
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