Greek on the Go
Posted by estiator at 9 February, at 11 : 33 AM Print
COVER STORY
Food trucks appeal to restaurateurs and foodies alike, with their lower startup costs and trendy cuisine, and they continue to grow in popularity. Greek concepts have long been a part of the game.
BY MARIA BENARDIS
Photography by Amelia Ingraham
ONCE THE BANE OF THE CULINARY WORLD, food trucks in the last decade have gone from greasy-spoon status to hipster hangouts where the most discriminating foodie can nibble on the tastiest bites imaginable. No longer merely hot dog carts and taco wagons, a myriad of cuisines in all-out gourmet battle seems to be playing out on the streets. From authentic ethnic foods to fusion cuisine, patrons can often find rows of food trucks serving gourmet burgers, truffled grilled cheese sandwiches, lobster rolls, vegan sandwiches, cupcakes, and ice cream. Food truck alleys act as mobile mall food courts, becoming great destinations for people in search of cheap and cheerful food on the go. And where traditional food truck fare may have been viewed as unhealthy in the past, many are catering specifically to a health-conscious demographic.
One of the keys to the shift stems from the fact that bona fide chefs all over the country are getting in on the scene. Without the constraints of restaurant owners and large companies dictating menus and ingredients, creative chefs are often liberated to develop hybrid, unique cuisines that speak to their individual culinary points of view, unleashing them to an ever-eager audience. As a result, many restaurateurs who are hesitant to make large-scale investments into new restaurants have turned to mobile canteens as a less expensive way to sell food and reach customers.
The barriers to entry into the food truck market are just a fraction of a startup brick-and-mortar location. According to Technomic, a research firm specializing in the food-service industry, a brand-new food truck can cost anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000, compared with nearly $1 million needed to open a stand-alone restaurant. And because food trucks run on volume, they can reach $400,000 or more in sales a year pretty quickly.
It’s not surprising, then, that America’s food-truck industry is growing rapidly. IBIS World Food Trucks reports that in the U.S. there are 25,476 food truck businesses as of the start of 2020, with the number continuing to grow (the industry is expected to expand by 8.2% this year). Over the last five years, the number of food trucks has grown by 8.7% per year on average, with the West accounting for the largest share of locations. (Alabama, Alaska, and Arizona house the largest number of food trucks)
One of the things that drives customers to chef-owned food trucks is the culinary point of view of the chef. In a field crowded with every ethnic cuisine under the sun, there is no shortage of Greek food concepts, including some game changers like Uncle Gussy’s and Souvlaki GR (two-time Vendy winner and winner of the New York Food and Wine Festival’s People’s Choice Award, 2012).
Souvlaki GR was so successful that it has parlayed its food truck into a number of successful shop-front restaurants in New York City. Other Greek concept food trucks of note include the Souvlaki Truck (Best of Westchester 2016 and whose owner also appeared on the Food Network’s Chopped), and Authentic Gyro of Miami (on the Food Network’s list of America’s 26 Best Food Trucks to visit). These concepts are taking tradition to the streets, serving their award-winning fare out of the window of a food truck. Many adopt the Chipotle model, allowing guests to build their pita wraps or bowls as they pass along a line of ingredients, and others a more traditional order model. One thing is constant, however—most are successful. Greek food that’s quick, healthy, and price-accessible out of a truck has arrive
GREEKIN’ OUT
Niko Papathanasiou and Sarah Turker are the owners of Greekin’ Out, a food truck based out of New London, Connecticut.
Niko is first-generation Greek-American. “My father migrated to the United States at the age of 17. My parents are from the region of Epirus. I was born here but moved to Greece as a young child and moved back to the United States in the third grade.”
The food truck is based in Southeastern Connecticut, near the casinos. They cover many of the surrounding towns and cities in the area, “but we travel to the Hartford area as well,” says Niko. “Every week is different, which is one of the fun parts of the business.”
“We are entering our fifth season on the truck,” he says. “We both love authentic Greek cuisine, and we felt like Connecticut was really missing the mark. When we first started the business in 2015, there weren’t any other food trucks or restaurants in our area that served authentic Greek gyros, specialty feta fries, etc. Now there are a few trucks that offer gyros, but they’re still not 100% authentic like you’d find on the streets of Greece,” says Niko.
Niko and Sarah’s family grew up in the restaurant business. “My parents owned a pizzeria when I was growing up, and my siblings and I worked after school or on the weekends. We now have another pizzeria in Connecticut, and it’s 90% family-run as well. I also worked at a souvlatzidiko in Greece prior to starting the business. Sarah’s first job was also in a family-owned restaurant where she worked for over ten years throughout her teens and early 20s. She grew to love the fast-paced environment and loved working with people.”
They decided to start a food truck rather than a restaurant because the startup costs were relatively inexpensive compared to a brick-and-mortar restaurant. “We love providing an authentic dining experience to our customers.”
After just three years in business, the couple were awarded Expert’s Pick for Food Truck of the Year by Connecticut Magazine, a prestigious publication that has helped to cultivate the state’s foodie culture.
One of the best things about the food truck, says Niko, is the fact that he gets to work alongside his best friend, his wife, every day. “Together we have accomplished exactly what we set out to do,” says Niko.
“The food truck business is exciting and rewarding,” he says, but it also has its challenges. “When we started back in 2015, there were not many food trucks in our state, so we had a lot of research to do and a lot of barriers to break down. Some challenges include preparation, truck mechanical issues, weather, and staff.”
Together, they cook and serve their favorite dishes from Greece, including pork and chicken gyros, souvlaki, spanakopita, Greek salads, feta fries with oregano, freshly made tzatziki, and a few rotating specials including gemista, pastitsio, and avgolemono. Also, desserts such as bougatsa. baklava, and rizogalo. “All house-made items,” shares Niko proudly. “Sarah and I are extremely proud of the food we prepare. We can honestly say that we are the only Greek truck, or even restaurant, that handstacks our own gyros. We don’t cut corners, and we spend a lot of time preparing, cooking, and creating the authentic experience.”
His best-seller is gyro, “hands-down.” Niko says, “We personally hand-stack the cones, and shave the meat right on the truck so every gyro is made hot and fresh to order, and we add French fries to our sandwiches—which is authentic to Greece. Not everyone gets it, but our loyal fans and supporters love what we offer and keep coming back.”
More so than with a restaurant, social media is vitally important for a food truck business that changes location from day to day. In fact, it’s how customers find them.
“We rely on Facebook and Instagram every day to broadcast our locations and share our specials,” says Niko, “and we love the support we get online and through social media— we honestly have the best customers in the world!”
His overall philosophy is to “educate every customer one meal at a time.”
“All house-made items, Sarah and I are extremely proud of the food we prepare…” —NIKO PAPATHANASIOU
UNCLE GUSSY’S
Uncle Gussy’s was the 2012 NYC Vendy Award Finalist. They are one of the oldest street food vendors in New York City and began as a tiny food cart in 1971, selling typical, ordinary, run-of-the-mill street pretzels and hot dogs, until they started slowly introducing their mom’s homemade recipes, just to see what would happen. The demand for their homemade Greek “specials” became so popular, they expanded the cart throughout the years to accommodate for their growing line of customers.
This chain of events would eventually lead to brothers Nick, 43 and Fotios (“Franky”) Karagiorgos, 34 to own Uncle Gussy’s, the blue-and-white Greek food truck parked nearly every day on East 51st Street at Park Avenue.
The brothers’ parents hail from Aghios Dimitrios, Nafptakos, Greece. Nick attributes his success to his family. Especially his wife, Eleni, and his children, Niko, 2, and Katerina, 5.
Since 2004, the brothers have been serving up breakfast and lunch to hungry New Yorkers. With an initial investment of $60,000, they purchased the truck, built it out, painted it, fit it out, and purchased equipment and generators. “Building it made me broke, but it’s all worked out in the end,” says Nick.
Nowadays, there is a near-constant line at the truck, which is known to stretch down the block in front of St. Bart’s Church. Customers line up for souvlaki as well as home-style specials, and a friendly chat with Nick as he works the window. Over time, business has expanded and they now have an additional food truck downtown and a Long Island City restaurant inside Food Bazaar. They have also purchased a warehouse where all the preparation and most of the cooking now takes place.
Nick remembers getting into the vending business when he began helping his Uncle George sell sodas at the tender age of 9. He realized that by selling ice pops to office workers, he could get away with charging $1.50—quite pricey for a popsicle in the ’80s. “I was making bank,” especially since the suits would take pity on the kid and let him keep the change from $2.
The menu at Uncle Gussy’s food truck is extensive, with daily specials. Everything is prepared, seasoned, and marinated by their beautiful mother, Katerina. Patrons and office staff wait for their delicious and still oversized portions. Uncle Gussy’s serves gyro, souvlaki, Greek salads, loukaniko, spanakopita, zucchini balls, Greek fries and other affordable traditional Greek specialties.
“We take pride in everything we do,” says Niko. “The slogan of our family food truck business is ‘Quality, quantity, and excellent service for locals and tourists alike.’”
“Some folks take shortcuts in vending food; we don’t and never will,” he says. “So, when you are looking for nearby places to eat, you know where to find authentic Mediterranean food. Our specialty is our tzatziki sauce,” says Nick.
Their most popular dish is the chicken and pork souvlaki. They keep it real and will not be adding any vegan meat options anytime soon, he insists. “We would rather have other healthier vegan options available to our customers, such as briam (a vegetable bake)”.
On most days, there are eight people working the truck. Despite their numbers, they maneuver around each other smoothly and serve up delicious dishes quickly and effortlessly. “Communication and respect for one another is key,” says Nick.
The quality of the food at Uncle Gussy’s is high, and service is fast and accurate. A long line of 25 people takes about 10 minutes, with the crew operating like a well-oiled machine.
And while restaurant operators complain of long hours, it’s no different for food truck operators. “The day starts at 5:00 am,” says Niko. “There is a lot of preparation that has to be completed off-site at the warehouse, then we bring the trucks in and load them up. Finding space to park our truck can be challenging, especially if there are road closures or a film shoot. We have to quickly find an alternate spot and get on to social media to alert all our clients. You have to be tech savvy and on top of it. This is the way you build a fan base for your food truck.”
Uncle Gussy’s also offers the option to order online from their truck. It’s a great way to skip the line for people on the go. “In New York, people truly appreciate their time, so it’s important for us not just to provide high-quality food but to make it fast,” says Nick.
