Aliaksandr Piatrou grew up in Belarus. Neither of his parents was afforded many opportunities growing up. But they wanted a better life for Alex and his sister Julia, so they moved them around from school to school, pushing them to take advanced classes in the sciences and English.   

While attending college, Aex decided to come to the U.S. on a J-1 visa to see what life here was like. For three consecutive summers, he worked at Bona Pizza from the minute it opened until the minute it closed. Although the hours were long, Alex appreciated the opportunities and freedoms available in America to those who work hard. The owners of Bona Pizza had become a second family to Alex.

When Bona Pizza had to relocate, Alex followed an opportunity to work at Crystal Restaurant, where he developed many social connections. While working there, he got both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wilmington University in management information systems. In 2015, Alex was recruited to start serving at 1776 Steakhouse, which he always believed was the premier restaurant in Delaware. He ended up working at 1776 for more than 10 years, where the owner, Tom Holmes, saw the passion Alex had for the hospitality industry and became his mentor. 

When Tom announced to the 1776 team that he sold the restaurant, Alex knew that he couldn’t work for anyone else. 

“When you feel valued by your boss, you want to give 110% of yourself to your job, and that’s how I felt working for Tom," Alex said.

Alex soon learned that the Ocean Point Grille in Five Points was for sale. Alex and his partner Tamara Tattersall, who was the first hire at 1776, decided it was time to run their own restaurant. Lily Gosnear handled the sale, and she and her husband Jeff have become partners in Rare. 

Alex notes that he and Tamara have the perfect business partnership. Tamara runs the kitchen and the back-of-house operations, while Alex handles the front of house. 

“Tamara is the heartbeat of Rare, and she sets the tone and the mood each day for how things run,” he said.

With their division of responsibilities, Alex can focus on the customer experience, which begins as soon as someone walks through the front door. He knows it is critical to leave nothing to chance. That enables Tamara to develop a creative menu and ensure the quality of the food is top-notch. With Tamara running the back of house, Alex knows that no dish will come out of the kitchen unless it is just right. At the same time, Alex is cognizant of the importance of the team. 

“I know it’s Tamara and I who are the owners, but we have over 40 employees who work here and take responsibility as if they were owners," Alex said. "Building the right work culture is key. We are extremely proud of the talent we have been able to retain, and we look to create opportunities for our people to step into bigger roles.” 

Alex believes the growth in the area can support multiple steakhouses, but at the same time, he wants to differentiate Rare.

“An upscale restaurant should not only prepare great food, but should also provide great service," Alex said. "And when you can do both, you end up with customers who enjoy not just a meal, but also an experience. It is our privilege to be a destination to celebrate special events and milestones.”

Success to Alex and Tamara is straightforward. It’s people leaving Rare with a clean plate, a smile on their face, and when making a reservation to come back, asking to sit in the same area as their server because of the wonderful experience they had.

As Alex and Tamara look into their crystal ball, they don’t think about expansion or multiple locations. Instead, they focus every day on making sure the customer experience is exceptional, and they believe everything else will naturally fall into place. Rather than predicting the future, Alex and Tamara focus on what they can control every day.

“I am fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful people," Alex said. "I also believe it is my responsibility to give back to the community that has always supported me."

When asked to think about what he would tell his 18-year-old self, he didn’t have to think long.

“Listen to your mom and dad. They are your biggest supporters," he said. "They know your strengths and weaknesses, and only want you to be successful.”

Alex would also advise his younger self to take more risks, noting that too many great ideas are buried by the fear of failure. When you combine a great idea with hard work, like Alex and his team, those risks are certainly minimized.