Meet Toula Amanna

There are few individuals in the community who epitomize success and perseverance the way that Toula Amanna does. As a Greek-born immigrant, renowned entrepreneur and successful business owner, she personifies the rags-to-riches story.

Toula is currently not only owner of Flashback Diner, which many of you may recognize as one of the top restaurants in Hallandale for 30 years, but she is also the President and CEO of Regulus Alliance Corporation, a highly successful and respected multi-brand restaurant and real estate development corporation in South Florida. Regulus focuses on Hospitality concept development, Commercial Real Estate Acquisitions with a specialization in Human Resources and supply side economics. Regulus is also a proponent of charitable fundraisers and is known for providing substantial work for the community.
Toula’s success story begins with her emigration from Greece in 1979. Toula received a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Florida International University and coursework on Information Systems in FIU and Real Estate Development at Nova University.

Currently, Toula serves at the Ambassador Cabinet of the Board of Directors at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Allian-ce. Before that she served as a Chamber of Commerce Board member in Hallandale Beach as well as in the Cooper City/Davie Chamber of Commerce, where she developed a reputation as a strong supporter and advocate of local businesses and economic development.

Furthermore, Toula has always been an active and highly passionate educator and advocate for small businesses and job creation across South Florida. More specifically she participated in nationally televised educational segments with the previous SBA Administrator, Maria Contreras-Sweet to help small and mid-sized businesses flourish and grow.

For Toula, success comes from the people who supported her. Her Mother, Elizabeth Stark, Brother Spiro Lazarou, and Partners George Thiakos and Rochelle Matza were all inspirations for her to persevere and never surrender in her path to achieving success and prosperity, not just for herself, but also for her community. That is why Toula aspires to imbue her work with the same gratitude, loyalty, and ardent commitment that she was given by her loved ones. She is an exemplary businesses owner that embodies the principals of empathy and solidarity in a way that few other business owners can.

Through her work she aims to create a sense of hope that pervades through all her endeavors. If who you are is what you do, Toula is truly remarkable.

Toula, along with her partner, George Thiakos coach businesspeople on the SBA loan application process by teaching them where to apply and how. Toula wants the Hospitality and Real estate industry to collaborate and create teams comprised of employees and employers that will educate and provide workers with maximum benefits, as well as opportunity for educating them on what they need to start or further develop a business and how best to navigate through Regulatory Com-pliance, Continuing Education and coping with swift economic changes.

In fact, Toula has contributed so much to her communities, that during the pandemic she participated in workshops and information zoom meetings with Mayors, Communitity Leaders, and Council Members.
Most recently, Toula open-ed up the Sweet Alchemy Confectionary in Downtown Davie, next to the Flashback Diner. She’s excited to fully open her new establishment and provide eager patrons with Ice creams, cookies, donuts, cakes and many more spectacular desserts concocted by the Confectionary’s master bakers.

Toula doesn’t stop there, however, She also supports the Annual Rodeo Events, Nova University and the Annual Festivals in various Cities by providing premium catering services and donations, essentially patronizing the city’s many local events.

The majority of us may be familiar with Toula’s Flashback Diner, one of the oldest and most regarded Hospitality Brands in all of Broward Coun-ty. This illustrious location characterized by its unforgettable dishes was established in 1990 and is currently operating in three locations across South Florida: Hallandale Beach, Davie, and Boca Raton.

You will find her also at the Deerfield Beach Café at the International Fishing Pier, right on the Ocean, where the Mayor and Commissioners of Deerfield Beach Café entrus-ted her with the award of the RFP of the Pier Building with Gold Leed Certification, she continues the vision of the Deerfield Beach Leadership there on sustainability and turning waste into fertilizer. A trully idyllic location in a great City with an over 100 year history of its proud citizens and organizations.

Toula is one who truly sees the opportunity in even the most difficult of situations, especially the recent COVID -19 crisis. The local Govern-ments did their best in the cities that Toula is in to support the businesses through the crisis by providing crucial and timely help as in the City of Hallandale Beach and Davie through large, above the norm CRA Grants that helped so many people to survive .

To further demonstrate their commitment through community, Toula fundraises and caters in four local city Chambers of Commerce, Nova University, the United Way, the Jewish Federation, PAL organizations and more.

We encourage readers to come visit Flashback Diner, the Deerfield Beach Café and the Sweet Alchemy Confectionary, where friends and family alike can come together to share a quality meal, and a kind word. Whichever destination you chose to visit you can be sure that the customer service and management will be exceptional. Come and support any one of these highly successful and consistently reliable local businesses, run by one of South Florida’s most prolific business leaders, flashbackdiner.com.