Gyros revolution of Sydney

What makes this a unique business is that it is out of the suburban heartland of Sydney and in the city, near the main nightclub area where Greek speakers are few. This was the brain child of his wife, Pamela Rogaris, who has led the way as she sought a change from the mundane routine of office work. For her it was a chance to establish a family business and to have daily interaction in one of the busiest areas of Sydney. Thus far, it has been the best achievement of her work life and one she has no regrets about. Her smile is there for all to witness including her three other business partners.

As to be expected with a gyros business, locals and tourists have flocked to Plateia, which has been trading since December. Many have been to Athens and sat at Monastiraki munching on gyros and now they have replicated this mouth-watering taste on their trip Down Under. Forget having a kangaroo meal, one tourist told me, "I really enjoy these pocket fillings any day of the week. It is like Athens meets Sydney when I eat these."

Zeus! This is a name that immediately conjures up all sorts of images. The mythical God and the man with a long white beard and special powers. I recall a Persian friend recommending to me this new eatery in Drummoyne, near the water in late June last year (when it had first opened). The name of course stuck and when I interviewed one of the owners, Peter Augoustis, it soon become apparent why my friend recommended this place.

Peter arrived in Sydney 18 years ago from Canada, making him slightly different to other Greek or Sydney-born business owners. He brought along his knack of creating a successful business tinged with fun and a sense of creating a customer experience. A founder of the successful pizza franchise, Crust, Peter along with another six partners took the plunge to open an 'experience'. This experience is creating a story, a purpose for each item on the menu. The more Peter spoke, the more you could tell that he had a sense of passion for what he was creating.

His staff at Zeus are given a real grounding on the story behind each food item. It is about truly understanding the service they provide, and that service is ensuring a quality experience by those who visit.

In keeping with the trend of the new breed, Peter is a young man with a long-term belief in what he creates. Having eaten at his previous pizza shop, I know
the results are always there. He reminded me of a poignant fact. "The Mediterranean diet has been healthy and famous for thousands of years." This is a diet that people always seem to return to. I might say they boomerang back to; you can't substitute quality and if you flick through their menu, just like most of the gyros shops, you will find a vast array of healthy Greek items to consume.

I recall almost a year ago pulling up at Traditional Gyradiko in Bexley and seeing a line that stretched around the corner. It was a little chilly and people waited patiently to sample the new product that promised a taste of Greece. There were a few of us in the group that night and being hungry, and impatient, we drove on to Marrickville for a gyros. We would have to wait until the Beatles-like hysteria calmed down before venturing to eat there a few months later for a filling pork gyros, 'me apola' (with everything)! Pork is the traditional meat of the Greek gyros.

This has been one of the new additions to the traditional gyros menu, the pork, which is the big seller in Greece. Kostas Giannakaros, who along with his business partner Peter Bouzalakos, runs Gyradiko and Taxidi restaurant next door. Kostas is in every sense a pioneer and one that many are thankful for.

Having helped establish Souvlaki Bar in Brighton two decades ago, he subsequently went to Lemnos and from there opened a number of gyradika across Greece.

"I have owned and established 14 of them and it was my belief that the Greek style of gyros would work in Sydney," he told me. His results have thus far borne fruit as the first person to introduce the 'new' gyros in April last year.

What I have witnessed up close at Gyradiko is the all-imported Greek products; from the yoghurt all the way to the herbs, everything is from Greece. There is no stopping Kostas as he seeks to establish a business in Rosebery and in Brisbane. This pioneer has a busy time ahead.

Similar to what I found with all the new gyros- style shops, you can find a number of new migrants from Greece. In fact, in Syntagma last year I recall having a conversation with a young man at Pita Pan who had recently returned from working in a Gold Coast gyros shop. He told me, "just wait until these shops open in Sydney, they will be well received". And he was correct.

Gyradiko ensures that the style of food is like being in Greece and you have the Greek music playing in the background, as most of the new shops are. This is something I always liked about the traditional Souvlaki Bar in Brighton, my fix of Greek music and a gyros served by someone talking to me in Greek.

A different style of menu

My friend Andre Paschali and his girlfriend Victoria Hill assure me there have been eleven new entries to the revolution these past few months. And as I write this article from Traditional GRK Souvlaki in Mascot, my head was spinning as I tried to fathom how many more gyros plates (without smashing) I could eat as part of my undercover research for this article. I quickly settled into a Greek salad to balance my consumption.

At the end of my research, I can tell you I have gained a good 10 kilos. It has been worth it as I sample the new gyros with smaller, thicker pita bread, generally with an insert of chips, tzatziki, tomato and of course I prefer it with mustard. Try it, if only to ensure the mustard drips on to your shirt, making you look a little foolish. Another reason not to return to the office.