George Mamounas has been working at his Rosewood Family Restaurant since he was 8 years old. Born in Gary, Mamounas lived in Merrillville until the age of 10 before moving to Portage. In 1998, Mamounas became the owner of his family’s South Haven restaurant.
“I became an actual owner when we remodeled the South Haven restaurant in 1998,” said Mamounas. “I remember my mom teaching me on a chair how to run the register. It was the old style push button one where you press the numbers, and then you hit a big blank button and the drawer pops open. It was before I knew how to give change back, so I had to start learning how to give change at 7 years old.”
Mamounas took over the family business after his father started it in 1975.
“My father bought a business in 1975, after he came over to this country back in 1970,” said Mamounas. “He started out working the mills and then decided to go into the restaurant business. Him and my mother bought a restaurant called Rosewood Grill in downtown Portage, and we just kept the name ever since, and later expanded into South Haven with my two uncles on the Karakozis side.”
Mamounas worked at the restaurant through middle school and high school. He played football and wrestling in high school and rugby in college. He went on to graduate from Ball State University with a marketing degree. After obtaining his degree, Mamounas decided to come back to the family business.
“I enjoyed the atmosphere, and I enjoy talking to people,” said Mamounas. “I enjoy the friendships you make over the years and the regulars who become a family, especially seeing who I called Rosewood kids becoming customers as they got older”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mamounas and his restaurant still gave out food to the community.
“We try to help everybody, and the community has been very good to us,” said Mamounas. “I like to give back to the community because, without them, I wouldn't be here. If I'm able to, I'm always willing to help do a fundraiser, or if somebody needs some food donated for some special cause.”
At Rosewood the motto is “Something for the whole family.” They have a large menu so that everyone in the family can find something to eat.
“We offer a large variety, and people ask, ‘Why do you have such a large menu?’” said Mamounas. “That's what our motto is, ‘Something for the whole family.’ We try to have food from different ethnicities such as Greek, Italian, Asian, and American. The majority of our food is made from scratch, biscuits and gravy, homemade soups, sauces, and our daily specials, and we serve breakfast all day.”
In his free time, Mamounas enjoys spending time with family and watching football. Mamounas also lives in Portage with his sweetheart and his three kids.
“The business consumes me, but with the free time that I have, I try to spend it with my family,” said Mamounas. “I enjoy watching football and watching my kids play their sports. I try to be as involved with their lives as I can. I have sacrificed a lot of time so that I could be with them while working at the restaurant.”
For more information about the Rosewood Restaurant, visit rosewoodfamilyrestaurants.com.