Vasilios Mantzios opened in downtown Celina in 2024 to sell staples like pasta, wine, bread and olive oil imported from small-scale producers that he knows personally, and he doesn’t tolerate producers that he believes have sold out to big business, he said.
“If it’s going to Walmart, to HEB, to Whole Foods … they’re out of here,” Mantzios said of the products he carries in his store.
Mantzios said as a small store, he is able to source his items from family-owned operations in Italy and Greece that don’t have the production capacity to sell to large chains, creating a unique taste of the Mediterranean in the heart of Celina.
Looking back
Mantzios grew up in Athens, Greece, and moved to the United States after supporting NATO operations as a soldier in the Greek army.
He got his start in gourmet food in 2015 selling olives, olive oil, salt and balsamic vinegar at farmers markets across Dallas-Fort Worth.
“I have become a name,” Mantzios said. “The Greek guy, the olive oil guy, the pizza guy, the meatball guy.”
Once Mantzios was ready to open a brick-and-mortar storefront in 2024, downtown Celina was his first choice.
“More than half of my clientele, even if I was in Frisco or surrounding markets, were families from Celina and Prosper,” Mantzios said.
Di Mantzio’s will celebrate its second anniversary in October, and Mantzios is already planning for the market’s next evolution.
What’s next
Mantzios is currently looking for a new space where he can expand his business to include a restaurant component, he said.
His ideal menu would feature “Greco-Roman” food, like specialty sandwiches and pizza.
“The real one, because nobody knows how to make pizza here in Dallas,” Mantzios said.
He hopes to find a new space that can accommodate both a restaurant and market by the end of the year, he said.
Staying local
According to Mantzios, rapid population growth, competition from larger retailers and potential rent increases have all made it difficult to run a successful specialty store in Celina.
Despite the challenges, he said he’s only considering spaces in Celina for his combination restaurant and market.
“I don’t want to move, you know why? Because I respect the people that support me,” Mantzios said.
Leaving Celina would mean leaving behind the families he’s built personal relationships with, first as a seller at the farmers market and now as a small business owner with his own space.
“I’m not a businessman in the American term,” Mantzios said. “I’m a shop owner. From Greece! I care about my people.”
