Rick Tsakalios is a Huntley, Illinois, executive who co-owns and operates the popular Papa G’s family restaurant. His responsibilities include staff management and training, inventory control, and vendor and customer relations. He has worked to boost the cost-effectiveness of order purchasing systems and implemented new technologies, including a point-of-sale system, loyalty rewards, and restaurant app. Rick Tsakalios also prepares weekly payroll and sales reports and regularly renegotiates pricing with vendors.
Mr. Tsakalios’ professional background includes technology support, repair, and maintenance. His expertise includes repairing out-of-warranty devices and computers and setting in place robust networks for home and business requirements. He has helped migrate users between operating systems and undertaken RAM and hard drive upgrades. He has also installed security camera systems equipped with remote monitoring.
A community volunteer, Mr. Tsakalios previously helped out at Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. He performed patient room supply inventory and refills and assisted with assessing patient vitals and responding to initial complaints. He has a strong interest in developments in health care, ranging from stem cell research to the emergency room.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical day begins with a morning routine, where I review national news and market trends over coffee to stay informed on the economic climate that impacts both my business and our community. Once at Papa G’s, my focus shifts to operational excellence, which includes managing vendor relationships for our food and convenience offerings and ensuring my team has the support and resources they need to serve our customers effectively. I find maintaining this balance—starting with the big picture, dedicating myself to the hands-on management of the business, and prioritizing my personal well-being with a gym session in the evening—is essential for sustained productivity and clear decision-making.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I bring ideas to life through a dynamic blend of immediate action and dedicated research, often diving in to learn by doing and adapting in real-time based on my extensive business experience. If the idea involves an unfamiliar domain, I become deeply focused, immersing myself until I achieve a level of proficiency that ensures solid execution; however, I recognize my fatal flaw is that once a goal is achieved, I can sometimes lose interest and must consciously seek out the next challenge to stay engaged. This self-awareness drives me to build momentum and structure into my projects from the start, ensuring that initial successes become sustainable foundations for long-term growth, both in business and in public service.
What’s one trend that excites you?
The rise of independent, noncorporate coffee shops is a trend that genuinely excites me, as it reflects a growing public desire to support authentic, community-centric mom-and-pop businesses. It gives me a sense of nostalgia for a time when the local shop owner knew your name, and seeing new ones open regularly reinforces the value of that personal connection and unique character in our local economy. As a long-time small business owner myself at Papa G’s, this shift is incredibly encouraging and aligns perfectly with my advocacy for policies that help independent ventures thrive against larger corporate competition.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
One habit that significantly boosts my productivity is consciously switching up my environment and routine to avoid the feeling of being on a hamster wheel. This might mean restructuring my schedule or taking administrative work to a local coffee shop for a few hours to gain a fresh perspective. I’ve found that this deliberate change of scenery, often supporting other small businesses in the process, breaks up the monotony, re-energizes my focus, and leads to more creative and effective problem-solving.
What advice would you give your younger self?
The advice I would give my younger self is to have the courage to do your own thing and not let the expectations or unrealized dreams of others dictate your path. Forge your own trail with conviction, even when it diverges from the well-worn route, because authentic success is built on your own vision and hard work. Looking back, I see that the resilience and independence I learned by building Papa G’s my way were far more valuable than following a prescribed blueprint, and that principle is exactly what I aim to foster in our community: empowering individuals and businesses to pursue their unique potential.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
I believe something that almost nobody seems to agree with me on is that Larry David isn’t really acting in Curb Your Enthusiasm—he’s simply unleashing his unfiltered id on screen, and that’s precisely what makes the show so brilliantly hilarious. While people see a crafted character, I see a man who has perfected the art of exposing the absurd, unspoken rules of social interaction by barely exaggerating his own genuine reactions. This appreciation for an uncompromising, almost painful authenticity mirrors my own value for straight talk, whether in business at Papa G’s or in the direct, no-nonsense approach I believe we need in public service.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
The one thing I repeatedly do and strongly recommend everyone else do is to consciously take that time off and treat yourself without guilt. In our always-on culture, it’s easy to get trapped on a treadmill of constant work, but true sustainability—whether running a business like Papa G’s or serving a community—requires dedicated periods of recharge. Stepping away, whether for an evening with a good show, a vacation, or just an hour at a local coffee shop, isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessary reset that brings back fresh energy, perspective, and ultimately makes you more effective in every part of your life.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
When I feel overwhelmed or unfocused, my most effective strategy is to deliberately take a step back and physically or mentally detach from the immediate pressure. This might mean leaving the office for a brisk walk, changing my environment, or simply shutting off the noise for a short period to clear my head. I’ve learned through running Papa G’s that this brief disengagement isn’t avoidance; it’s a tactical reset that allows me to return to the challenge with renewed clarity, a better perspective on priorities, and a calmer, more focused approach to problem-solving.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
One fundamental strategy that has helped me grow Papa G’s and advance in my career is a relentless focus on striving to enrich people’s lives, whether they are customers or employees. This means going beyond a simple transaction to create a positive experience—making someone’s day better with a genuine interaction, ensuring my team feels supported and valued, and fostering a sense of community. This approach builds deep loyalty, turns customers into advocates, and cultivates a dedicated team, which together creates the strong, sustainable foundation upon which any successful business or career is truly built.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
One significant challenge was navigating the extreme disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatened the very survival of the business. To overcome it, I had to pivot operations immediately, aggressively expanding delivery services to meet changing customer needs while personally ensuring my employees’ financial security out of my own pocket when uncertainty was at its peak. The experience wasn’t a failure but a profound lesson in resilient leadership; it reinforced the necessity of disaster preparedness, the irreplaceable value of loyal staff, and the critical importance of adapting swiftly to protect both your team and your community’s essential services.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
One business idea I’m willing to give away is a purpose-driven purchase model where the core product is designed for charity and brand awareness. The concept is to invest in creating or sourcing a high-quality, versatile staple item—like a premium coffee blend, a durable tote bag, or a classic apparel piece—that other businesses or organizations can purchase in bulk at cost. They then customize it with their own logo and use it exclusively for their charitable giveaways, community events, or customer loyalty gifts. This provides them with a turnkey solution for positive brand exposure through social good, creates a steady B2B revenue stream for the founding business, and channels products directly to community support, turning everyday marketing into a force for local benefit.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
One essential piece of software that keeps me productive is my point of sale (POS) system at Papa G’s. I use it for far more than just processing transactions; it’s the central nervous system of the business, giving me real-time data on sales trends, inventory levels, and even employee performance. This allows me to make swift, informed decisions—like adjusting orders with vendors, identifying what our customers love most, and managing staff schedules efficiently, which saves hours of manual work and lets me focus on strategic growth and serving the community.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
The best $100 I recently spent was a personal splurge: a vintage, framed concert poster from a band I loved in my youth. It wasn’t a necessity, but hanging it in my home office brings me a genuine jolt of joy and nostalgia every time I look at it. That small investment in a personal passion acts as a daily reminder of who I am outside of my work, fueling my creativity and grounding me in the simple pleasures that make the hustle worthwhile.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
My favorite podcast is The Daily from The New York Times. While the news can feel overwhelming, I value how this show slows things down to tell the full, human story behind one major issue. It helps me move past the noise and arguments to actually understand the people and real-world impacts at the heart of a story, which feels more honest and necessary than ever. That deeper understanding doesn’t just make me better informed—it makes me a more empathetic and engaged neighbor and citizen.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
A series I recently enjoyed and was completely charmed by is Love on Netflix. It was such a refreshingly honest and character-driven story about the messy, awkward, and authentic journey of two people finding their way to each other. I truly loved the characters because they felt real and flawed, not polished for TV, and the ending provided a deeply satisfying and well-earned wrap-up to their arcs. It’s the kind of show that stays with you because it focuses on genuine human connection over forced drama.
Key learnings
- People thrive not just by working hard, but by working smart—making space for rest, switching up their scenery, and remembering to treat themselves without guilt.
- The most lasting success, in business and life, comes from focusing on people: making someone’s day better, building real connections, and supporting your community.
- It’s powerful to be self-aware; knowing your own patterns, like losing interest after a win, allows you to build structures that keep you moving forward
- Staying genuinely curious and seeking to understand the full story behind issues leads to more empathetic and effective engagement with the world.