In the city that never sleeps, a new craving is keeping New Yorkers up at night: souvlaki. The beloved Greek street food, which has fed generations across Greece, is now leading the charge in a city overflowing with restaurant options and fierce culinary competition. But in this crowded landscape, two standout spots are serving the Greek staple with just enough edge to stand out in a city that’s seen it all.
Leading the way are two ventures from different corners of the Hellenic diaspora: The Gyro Project, a “fast-fine” concept from entrepreneurs George Tenedios and Spiros Kokkosis, and Tziki, a moodier take on Athenian street fare opened by Harry Nicolaou and three longtime friends. Their approaches differ, but the mission is the same: to give New Yorkers the kind of souvlaki that Greeks actually eat.
For Tenedios, The Gyro Project was born not out of trend-chasing but necessity — and a spark from his business partner, Kokkosis. “Three years ago, right in the middle of COVID, Spiro kept hounding me to open a full-service Greek restaurant in New Jersey,” Tenedios recalls. “I kept saying no. I wasn’t interested. Then he changed the angle: ‘What about a fast-serve souvlatzidiko, but done differently?’ That’s when the lightbulb went on.”
With both of their main businesses shut during lockdown, Tenedios ran a food operation in Manhattan, and Kokkosis owned several delis. The chance to build something lean and scalable became too appealing to ignore.
What emerged was The Gyro Project: a clean, modern concept that Tenedios calls “fast-fine.” It sits between fast casual and full service. The flagship in Fort Lee, New Jersey, had 75 seats and a crowd that didn’t just come for a quick bite — they stayed, something rare in a fast-paced city. The concept proved itself, and soon after, The Gyro Project expanded to Manhattan’s Upper West Side. While the New York location has a smaller footprint, the ambition hasn’t changed. Today there are three locations in total: two in New Jersey and one in Manhattan.
“We wanted to create something that didn’t exist,” Tenedios says. “You have Astoria, yes. You have a handful of scattered gyro shops in Manhattan. But no one had built a scalable, stylish, fast-service Greek spot that still cared about the food. That’s the gap we’re filling.”
Over in Chelsea, Tziki feels like a different world — grittier, more alternative, and anti-commercial. And that’s exactly how Nicolaou envisioned it. “It started with four friends complaining that we couldn’t find good souvlaki in the city,” he says. “One week later, Aris called me and said, ‘Let’s just open one.’ Five days after that, we signed the lease.”
Tziki isn’t your usual Greek-American diner. It doesn’t even serve tzatziki. Instead, they use a yogurt-based sauce closer to what you’d find in Athens. No fries in the pita. No heat-lamp meats. No leftovers. “The gyro we have? We only keep it for the day. That’s it,” Nicolaou says. “Everything is made to be eaten now — today, not tomorrow.”
The rise of souvlaki in NYC is tied to the growing interest in the Mediterranean diet and “clean comfort food.” Both Tenedios and Nicolaou point to changing consumer habits, post-COVID food consciousness — and yes, Instagram.
“Everyone is a foodie now,” Tenedios says. “They want real food, they want stories behind it, and they want to post about it. Greek food is familiar, but still exotic enough to feel special. Souvlaki hits that sweet spot.” Nicolaou agrees, though with cultural irony. “In Greece, souvlaki is just fast food. It’s cheap, quick, and salty. Here? It’s seen as healthy, like it’s good for you. I find that funny. But hey, if that’s what gets people eating better food, I’m not complaining.”
And then there’s the Greece effect — the rise of tourism, viral videos of Santorini, and the wave of Americans who’ve tasted the real deal abroad. “People go to Greece now. They’ve eaten this in Athens. They want that same bite again, but in Chelsea,” Nicolaou says.
At both restaurants, the best-seller is the chicken gyro sandwich. Greek desserts are quietly becoming fan favorites, too. And the customer base? Surprisingly broad. “Students, professionals, dinner crowds, even people driving in from Brooklyn,” says Tenedios. “The audience is bigger than we thought.”
That doesn’t mean it’s all smooth sailing. Food prices have soared, and importing quality Greek ingredients — especially paper goods and packaging — has become trickier due to tariffs. But neither owner is compromising on quality. “I didn’t change my ingredients,” Nicolaou says. “No crazy spices. No trendy sauces. Just simple, honest food.”
In a city built on speed, spectacle, and reinvention, Tziki and The Gyro Project aren’t trying to be the next big thing; they’re just trying to do souvlaki the right way — with no shortcuts, no fusion, no filters. And that’s exactly why it’s working. Because when the product is honest, the flavors are real, and the mission is clear, New Yorkers notice. They come back — and they bring their friends.
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