Chuck Rolecek
Since 1989, Chuck Rolecek has been committed to creating innovative and incredibly popular dining experiences throughout the Granite State. Best known for his highly successful restaurants in and around Manchester, NH—C.R. Sparks and The Hanover Street Chophouse—he also staked an impressive claim as the host of the area’s most prominent and prestigious function facility, The Event Center, hosting high-end social events for businesses, nonprofits, wedding receptions and numerous political receptions, for more than 15 years.
In 2014, after a brief stint as a “retired restaurateur,” Chuck decided it was time to get back into the “biz” and thought the NH Seacoast might be just the right place to make his “comeback!” Knowing the once famous and popular Bonta restaurant might be available—Chuck was a frequent guest over the years, since the restaurant was designed by good friend and internationally acclaimed restaurant architect, Peter Niemitz of Niemitz Design Group—he secured the opportunity to purchase Bonta and with the help of NDG and quickly transformed the Old World Italian decor into a comfortable, warm and inviting replica of a North Country ski lodge complete with a center of the room fieldstone fireplace, large horseshoe bar and an overall ambiance that says “welcome!” And, when Chuck added a farm-to-table creative menu, an award-winning wine list and a Front of the House staff trained to a level of service not yet found in the area, it was just the right formula to boldly say to the Seacoast restaurant aficionado’s “I’m baaack!”
You won’t miss Chuck on your next visit to CR’s. Quite likely he will be chatting and smiling with his friends, guests and first timers, making everyone feel as if they have known him for years!
Basil Stergiou
Basil Stergiou joins CR’s The Restaurant management team, after an impressive and interesting service-orientated career, that spans multiple decades.
A Manchester, NH native who cut his “hospitality teeth” not at any old dining spot but at the world famous Aujourd’hui Restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel, Boston. Over a 10-year span, he learned firsthand the phrase “attention to detail” while interacting with fine dining aficionados and celebrities alike. Basil took his experience into a restaurant management position at another Boston institution, The Federalist, in the heart of Beacon Hill.
After many years in various high-end restaurants and hotels throughout New England, he brought his Boston waiter and manager experience to the likes of two of the more upscale restaurants in greater Manchester – The Bedford Village Inn and The Hanover Street Chophouse. Both those entities gave Basil another opportunity to offer world-class guest service; first as a Manager of Restaurant Operations at the Bedford Village Inn and then as “Server Extraordinaire” at downtown Manchester’s premier white-tablecloth restaurant, the Hanover Street Chophouse.
Basil’s keen eye for the “little details,” important to the guests that frequent these types of dining and entertainment venues, eventually landed him a spot as a Butler at the then new Encore Resort and Casino in Everett, MA. However, like so many other hospitality professionals who made a change post pandemic, Basil headed to sunny Florida for a change of pace, a change of weather and change of career – by starting his own business – the Institute of Service, Hospitality, and Excellence (ISHE), which offered consulting and Certified Dining Professional training.
Though ISHE was doing well into its third year and the business was starting to grow, on the suggestion of a mutual friend, Basil was encouraged to speak to Chuck Rolecek, the owner of CR’s and the rest, shall we say, is history. The chance to be a General Manager of a service-first operation in his home state and an opportunity to be on New Hampshire’s seacoast was too much to pass up. Eventually, Basil and Chuck agreed this was “the fit” they both were looking for and in late May 2023, Basil joined the team as General Manager.
It’s not hard to notice Basil as he meanders around the dining room and outdoor patio at CR’s. He’s the one with the big welcoming smile, insuring guests are happy and that his service staff has the same “attention to detail” he’s mastered over the years. Welcome to Hampton, Mr. Basil Stergiou. We are GLAD YOU’RE HERE.
