Committee, the Greek meze restaurant in Boston’s Seaport, has filed a civil lawsuit that reads like a hospitality-world thriller. The owners accuse a former general manager of quietly funneling more than $1 million of the restaurant’s money into other businesses and personal projects. The complaint, filed in March, traces what it describes as a scheme stretching roughly a decade and asks a Suffolk County Superior Court judge to award damages and order a full accounting. The defendant is restaurateur Demetri Tsolakis, who now operates a multi-concept restaurant group in Boston.
What’s in the complaint
Pier 50, LLC, the ownership entity behind Committee, tells the court that its former manager had wide access to the restaurant’s safe, checking accounts, and credit cards, and that he used that access to cover expenses such as interior decorations, printing jobs, and vendor charges that allegedly benefited other concepts. The suit lays out a series of alleged maneuvers, including taking cash from receipts and dipping into petty cash and the tip pool.
The filing itemizes several categories of spending: about $300,000 for printing, $250,000 for floral arrangements, and $180,000 for plateware, along with other billed items. Pier 50 says it is seeking more than $1 million in damages, according to Boston.com.
Tsolakis and his restaurant group
The complaint identifies Tsolakis as Committee’s general manager starting in 2014 and notes that he currently runs Xenia Greek Hospitality, the company behind Boston spots Greco, Krasi, Bar Vlaha, and Kaia. The Xenia portfolio has grown in recent years, with new locations opening around Back Bay and the South End as the group rolled out multiple Greek-focused concepts.
The company presents those openings as part of a broader hospitality platform and brand lineup on Xenia Greek Hospitality, and local coverage has profiled Kaia and related projects in detail on Time Out.
Allegations, totals and the defense
Among the specific claims in the lawsuit, Pier 50 says a cleaning company was told to provide “identical services” to multiple restaurants while billing only Committee, which allegedly resulted in roughly $150,000 in charges to the Seaport spot. The complaint also says about $100,000 went toward branded wax paper and other goods tied to the defendant’s concepts, and further alleges that some Committee checks were used to pay for home renovations.
Tsolakis’ attorney has pushed back on both the scope of the allegations and the timeline of his client’s responsibilities, telling Boston.com that Tsolakis “didn’t have unilateral check-writing abilities or anything of that nature” and that he held different roles after 2017.
What happens next
Pier 50 says its owners began looking into the suspected activity in 2023, which led to the lawsuit being filed this spring. The case is now pending in Suffolk County Superior Court. Committee’s address is listed on its website as 50 Northern Avenue in the Seaport, and the suit will move through the county’s civil docket at the Suffolk County Superior Court.
Because this is a civil case, the complaint is focused on recovering money and securing an accounting of the finances. Any potential criminal case would be handled separately by prosecutors if they decide that criminal laws were violated.
