SERVING OUR COUNTRY
When Peter Kreuziger opened
his first Dunedin, Florida
restaurant in 1976, serving
meant donning white
gloves, black bow ties, and presenting
salad with a chilled fork. Peter, or Mr. K.,
as he’s known to his staff, is an Austrian
native and graduate of Cornell University’s
School of Hospitality Management. His
record of success is distinct. By 1995, Peter
and his business partner Karl Riedl owned
a number of thriving ventures, including
Dunedin’s most popular restaurant,
Bon Appétit. At the core of Kreuziger’s
business success is the strong belief in
Peter Kreuziger
By Jacob Freid
Photography by Jacob Freid
service, a trait by which he defines his
life. This commitment to service is what led
him to become a highly engaged citizen,
and a founding member of the Dunedin
Downtown Merchants Association.
In 1995, Kreuziger found himself
attending a simulated airplane hijacking
at the Clearwater Chamber of Commerce.
“Suddenly the doors burst open and
camouflaged men poured into the dining
hall,” he said. “One threw a grenade to the
front of the room. Then Richard “Dick”
Leandri caught it and reinserted the pin.”
Leandri was a steadfast supporter and
benefactor of the U.S. Army Rangers and
94 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
was the event facilitator. The event showing
the intense preparation and training that
is undertaken by United States military
personnel kindled a burgeoning friendship
between Kreuziger and Leandri. A few
months later, they took an eight-hour road
trip to Fort Benning, Georgia for the U.S.
Army’s annual “Best Ranger” competition.
During the grueling three-day
competition, Leandri told Kreuziger
about his civilian armada, the Chairborne
Rangers, which as a non-military
organization, sponsored the design and
construction of the U.S. Army Ranger
Memorial at Fort Benning.
COMMUNITY
Civilians led the charge to establish the Special Operations Memorial at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.