Spartan Gyro Brings Authenic Greek Food to the Spartan Community

Brittni Grunow

An East Lansing man hopes his new authentic Greek restaurant can muscle in on the competition.

Steve Christodoulides and his son, George, are the co-owners of Spartan Gyros, which opened Oct. 19 where Taco Bell formally stood at 565 E. Grand River Ave.  Christodoulides said the eatery's name is not an allusion to MSU's mascot, but rather a name given to him as a child.

“My friends nicknamed me Spartiatis because I’m so big and strong,” Christodoulides said.  “They said I look just like a Spartan.”

Offering authentic Greek cuisine while still serving traditional American fare, Christodoulides believes he has a winning combination for the East Lansing area.

“Everything here is homemade,” Christodoulides said.  “We offer a taste of what real authentic Greek food really is.”

Since his move from Cyprus in 1987, Christodoulides has jointly owned five restaurants with his family, and his new East Lansing location marks the sixth restaurant and second of the same name in Michigan.  He has been in the restaurant business for nearly 20 years.

Although the original Spartan Gyros, located in Niles, Mich., closed in 2002, Christodoulides hopes the college population of MSU will bring success to the East Lansing location.

Providing a visual and aromatic Greek experience, the obvious featured item on the menu is the gyro.  The restaurant offers Greek salads, baklava, a traditional Greek dessert, and feta cheese. 

“We have a 40-pound, slow-cooked beef and lamb rotisserie to keep our meat fresh and juicy,” Christodoulides said.  “Other restaurants just buy that dry, store-bought meat.  It has no taste.”

Alternatives to Greek food are available as well, including Chicago-style hotdogs, rice pudding and double cheeseburgers.

In addition, Spartan Gyros will offer catering service for tailgating, something that has been popular at the other Spartan Gyros’ location.  Christodoulides added that in order to keep up with the area’s competition, Spartan Gyros plans to soon feature wireless Internet and meal delivery service. 

Although Christodoulides is confident he has the right business offering for the East Lansing area, he admitted Spartan Gyros started more slowly than he anticipated.

Though it drew just 1,000 customers daily compared to 3,000 at his other locations, Christodoulides attributed the slow beginning to the restaurant’s five-month delay in its grand opening, mainly as a result of several building issues Taco Bell left behind when it moved next door.

“The roof needed to be replaced because of leaks and we needed new metal panels for the stove,” Christodoulides said.  “The kitchen was left in ruins.”

Despite the slow business, Kosta Povich, a 19-year-old MSU student of Greek decent who said he was quite critical of what restaurants call authentic Greek cuisine, said he was impressed with Spartan Gyros.

“Its unique style will make it a big hit compared to the other restaurants lining Grand River Avenue,” Povich said.  “Its no wonder all of my friends are applying for jobs there.”

In a further attempt to build ties with the college community, Christodoulides said that he will be hiring university students.

Christodoulides claims Spartan Gyros will make itself a staple in East Lansing, combining its traditional Greek food and array of amenities while focusing on the MSU student population.