Daniels alumnus Anthony Lygizos is leading Leven Deli to success
Much like a customer scanning a menu, Anthony Lygizos was unsure of what he wanted when he arrived at college.
Born in Chicago, he arrived at the University of Denver and began taking classes in sociology. Then, he switched to psychology. After that, he tried some business classes and was interested in entrepreneurship.
By the end of his sophomore year, he began to feel the pressure of a decision. A meeting with now retired Daniels College of Business professor Stephen Haag changed everything.
Lygizos met with Haag for an informational chat about what the next two years could look like at DU and how he could leave with a degree and a defined career path.
“I brought my resume, and he glanced at it and kind of tuned me out,” Lygizos said. “Then, he’s like, ‘Why aren’t you taking classes in the hospitality school?’”
The question caught Lygizos off guard, but perhaps it shouldn’t have. His resume was full of restaurant experience, having worked in the hospitality industry since he was 13, when he’d lie about his age. He also worked at restaurants while studying at DU but didn’t think of this as a viable long-term path.
“I had this notion that business meant being in a suit and tie, sitting behind a desk, and looking at financial statements and making important decisions,” he said. “I explained, ‘I’m hesitant to do that because I feel like from everything I know or have read or heard, restaurants are risky.’”
Haag told him that everything is risky, and you can make money in anything, with focus and hard work.
Lygizos followed that advice and immediately connected with the hospitality curriculum. He was able to match his own industry experience with the classwork, excelling as a student and setting up his future career. Thanks in part to Haag’s wisdom long ago, Lygizos is now thriving in the Denver restaurant scene, where he is the co-founder of Leven Deli and its portfolio of restaurants.
After graduating from the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management in 2008, he had an astounding 39 job offers. His path to Leven took him from Denver to Aspen, to New York City and back to the Mile High City, working at renowned locations like the Little Nell and Potager. In 2013, he set his sights on what would become Leven Deli. He worked on a business plan, sought out partners and found a site, and ultimately opened the flagship location in downtown Denver in 2018.
He credits Daniels and the curriculum at Fritz Knoebel for stoking his entrepreneurial spirit and helping connect the business world with the hospitality space.
“I think that there’s something in the DNA of DU that allows for students to kind of tap into their own motivation freely without the red tape in most other university settings,” he said. “DU allowed me to keep that entrepreneurial spirit while still exploring different avenues to achieve that.”
Now, Lygizos and Leven are thriving. Leven recently opened a second location, Leven Supply, in the Washington Park neighborhood, and Lygizos has his sights set on a huge expansion in downtown Denver. Leven Downtown is set to open later this year at 1520 California Street and will have nearly 500 seats to accommodate diners.
It’s a big bet for Lygizos as many other restaurants struggle to stay afloat, but he’s confident. Leven has always been steadfast in its mission to provide quality food and a strong work environment. The company’s three pillars are: better hours, better pay and career development.
Lygizos said much of that mission stems from what he learned at Daniels and the College’s mission for ethical business. It has remained with him across his career and encouraged him to push boundaries in pursuit of achievement.
“DU was awesome in reinforcing that there can be success outside of that more traditional model,” he said.