By Jessaca Giglio | News Observer
Having his own kitchen will make Gus Megaloudis’ life a little easier.
On Tuesday, the father of four and co-owner of the Gussy’s Greek Street Food truck and the on-hiatus Greek Devil food cart, will open Gussy’s Place, a restaurant in Durham where he can expand his menu and prepare food for his mobile units without having to work out of a commissary.
Working in a shared kitchen means his food prep hours are limited and he has to constantly work around others’ schedules.
“We have to come out of a commissary,” Megaloudis said about the truck’s food. “Working it out with others, with certain time slots. … We are trying to make our lives easier, we’ll be on our own schedule and will be prepping now all day.”
Gussy’s Place will serve some of the same foods as the truck – gyros, soups, falafel, stuffed grape leaves, pita and hummus, Greek fries with lemon, oregano and sea salt, and baklava – along with daily specials of authentic Greek dishes like lasagna, meatballs, pizza and quiche.
Prices will range from about $4.50 for a side item to about $14 for a 16-ounce pork steak with fries, a salad and a pita.
The restaurant will also carry ice cream from the nearby The Freezing Pointe ice cream shop.
The 2,000-square-foot space will seat about 50 and will be open for lunch from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Even with his own place, Megaloudis will continue to share his kitchen with another food truck: Bagguettaboutit, which operated a lunchtime cafe in the Gussy’s Place spot until March after the death of its owner, Chris Derby.
“Bagguettaboutit is also using our kitchen in the back as their commissary,” said Megaloudis, who co-owns Gussy’s with his wife, Yael. “Two trucks coming out of here really.”
Megaloudis is also in the process of getting his Greek Devil food cart back to Duke University. About a year ago, he stopped servicing the cart, which opened in 2008, after construction on campus caused a decrease in foot traffic.
He hopes to be back on the Duke sidewalks at the beginning of the school year or after Christmas, he said, selling prepackaged foods such as salads, wraps, tzatziki and hummus.
Gussy’s Place will stay open late on its first day – from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. – and a priest will be on hand to bless the place. Wednesday will mark the first day of its normal lunchtime schedule.
“We’ve been looking for a restaurant for two years,” Megaloudis said. “We have four kids ranging from 5 to 13. We’re not interested in operating a full-blown restaurant.”
Gussy’s Place is at 2945 S. Miami Blvd. in Durham.
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