Do you prefer your pita with lamb or chicken? Cucumbers or tomatoes? Honey mango sauce or traditional tzatziki? The variety of mouthwatering options in the line seems endless, and it is all up to you to choose a delicious combination. This is Santorini’s Greek Grill, which opened for business at Station Park in 2018, soon becoming a local favorite by offering a menu for everybody—from adventurous foodies to picky eaters.
As it is for all businesses, starting up was challenging and risky. Sean Dehghani, the owner, had run several restaurants in Salt Lake County in the past, and when CenterCalm Properties extended an offer for a location at Station Park, he knew it would be quite a leap."
When we started here, I didn’t fully have all the funding I needed,” Sean explained in our interview. “I went to the Davis County Loan Fund, so the county invested in us here.” And, it seems, the investment has been mutually rewarding: Sean has been able to pursue his career goals, while Farmington now has a fresh, unique business in the community. “It’s been a huge success since day one,” he happily admitted. But for Sean, success isn’t simply paying off loans. “It’s all really thanks to the community. When my wife and I started this, we said to each other we’re going to make sure we give back to the community as much as possible and not be a typical restaurant—not just take, take, take.” It is this attitude of giving rather than taking that truly sets Santorini’s Greek Grill apart from other restaurants. For instance, on the grill’s first anniversary, Sean dedicated the day to the Farmington police and fire departments by having the customers pay for their meals by donation. Of course, that was last fall, and business was flourishing. When the recent pandemic turned the world upside down, Sean, like so many other business owners, saw a dramatic drop in revenue as he no longer could accommodate dine-in seating. Regardless, he has continued to be generous even though it has been a time of such toxic negativity: In June, he teamed up with Siegfried and Jensen to donate hundreds of meals and thousands of gloves to various hospitals nearby. A couple weeks ago, Sean helped raise funds for Layton High’s drill team. For the restaurant’s second anniversary, he hopes to help the school district pay off delinquent lunch balances.
“I’m just a little guy, but we try to give as much as we can,” he said, “to give back and put good out there in the world.” If there ever were a time to cherish the good in our little corner of the world, it’s now. Thank you, Sean, for giving instead of taking.