Demetri and Dan Kouretas in the Petra kitchen
You may never meet a more obvious pair than Dan and Demetri Kouretas. From the moment you set eyes on them—two tall, dark, easygoing young guys—you can sense the familiarity. Of course they are brothers. And there’s a reason they stick together.
Building upon the foundation set by their old-fashioned Greek father, these brothers are a yin-to-yang one-two punch. Their latest success melds their family’s heritage with their correlative talents. Dan is the up-front guy, fast-talking and always ready to try something new. Demetri is the behind-the-scenes guy, analytical and focused. And they’ve been working together this way since they were young, growing up in the California community of Los Gatos, where a future in the food industry seemed predestined.
“We grew up around restaurants,” Dan says. “Our father had eight of them in the Bay Area.” And it was all business in this family. “I graduated college on a Sunday, and at 8 AM Monday I was in Dad’s office,” Demetri says.
The pair struck out on their own in the real estate world; after they acquired some valuable sites in Las Vegas, Demetri moved here in 2001. Dan soon followed, and the brothers decided to make their home in the Summerlin area. They expanded into gaming with the purchase of two neighborhood bars. Then in April of this year, they went all in with the grand taverna Petra, located in the new Tivoli Village center.
“Tivoli was our chance at a downtown area where you can walk around and really add something to the experience,” Demetri says. “Once we found this space, we knew what to do,” Dan says. “You just can’t beat it.”
With Demetri focused on design, décor, and operations, Dan honed in on the menu, the bar, and the service. The result: Petra has become a budding Summerlin hot spot. The taverna is open for lunch, dinner, and late-night, when the outdoor terrace area shines, strung with romantic colorful lights. “We chose the menu and food; everything came from the two of us,” Demetri says. “We did it all. Now we’re expanding our banquet room just in time for holiday corporate events, and offering weekend brunch.”
The brothers Kouretas are determined to create a new culinary culture in Summerlin. And after all these years, they still enjoy working together. “We were forced at the start,” says Demetri, “but it’s always been the direction we wanted to go in. Who knows, maybe our kids will work together, too.”
