Meet Sammy Citrano, Owner of Georges Restaurant

Sammy Citrano has grown and cultivated a Waco legacy for 30 years now, as the owner of George’s restaurant. His career and work ethic are worthy of recognition, and his previous experience as president of 5 locations of Steak n Spirits in the Houston area jump-started his career. He then moved to Waco to establish Elite Cafe and Health Camp after he and his wife had their first child. Since he was young, Sammy had always dreamed of running his own restaurant. He so enjoyed the hospitality business, and his grandparents and aunt both owned and ran stores and restaurants throughout his childhood. When he was managing partner of Elite Cafe, his wife Delonda would go to George’s on Friday nights. At that time, George’s was Sammy’s competition and Delonda would tell him how fun and busy it was. So, when the opportunity came to purchase the restaurant, he took it. Since then, he has been deeply honored to be such an integral part of the memories shared at this popular restaurant.

 All of the opportunities George’s has brought to Sammy have been incredible. Over the last 30 years, they have had the chance to impact approximately 15,000 people who have worked for them, who have called back throughout the years to tell them how their experience working for the company influenced their lives. Not to mention – they constantly influence the thousands of people who visit the restaurant on a weekly basis. Sammy maintains a humble spirit even amidst his company’s success, as he emphasizes the importance of knowing that the restaurant is only as good as the last meal they have served. He wants to live up to the reputation that made George W. Bush a customer for 8 years. That is Sammy’s favorite experience with a customer – when President Bush brought his secret service, and when they were able to visit the White House as a result of how much he valued the restaurant. Many influential people have eaten at George’s, which is truly a testament to how special the business is.

Sammy loves knowing that his restaurant and the Waco community go hand-in-hand, because people truly think of George’s when they think of Waco. The future of this restaurant is always bright – Sammy was recently inducted into the Texas Restaurant Association Hall of Honor. Sammy describes that experience as incredibly emotional and an unbelievable honor, as his name was added to a long list of people he had always looked up to. His advice for others is to work like someone who owns 100% of a business, even if the business isn’t yours. He says you don’t have to own your own business to be successful – you can take the lessons you have learned and the work ethic you have cultivated into each business experience you have. Sammy Citrano has formed George’s into something that will continue to stand the test of time and will be able to bring the same comfort to the next generation of Waco residents.