The gyro project brings a taste of greece to fort lee

Aug 25

The Gyro Project recently opened its first location in Fort Lee, NJ on July 5th, offering authentic Greek food with an upscale fast-casual model. Located at 2151 Lemoine Ave in Washington Bridge Plaza, The Gyro Project is open from 11am - 10pm, BYOB, and provides a light, airy atmosphere to dine in, bringing the taste and feel of Greece to the heart of Bergen County. The menu features classics like lamb gyros and spanakopita to innovative appetizers such as cheese croquettes with hot honey. The eatery also boasts a wall filled with Greek goods for customers to purchase including olive oil, signature spice blends, and evil eye charms.

Origin Story

I spoke with founder, Spiro Kokkosis, who co-owns the business with his partner George Tenedios. The two go way back, attending pre-school together in Tenafly. No strangers to the food industry, Spiro has run multiple eateries in Midtown including the Majestic Deli, and George is the CEO of fresh&co.

They contemplated launching the business for a while pre-pandemic and rather than infiltrate the market with another Greek spot in neighboring New York City, they longed to bring the concept to their home of Fort Lee. “We thought, let's break the cliche of taverns and street carts. We saw the vision, found the space, said we can make it work in here, and just signed away,” Spiro said.

Spiro himself is of Greek origin with his family hailing from the quaint island of Kefalonia. His parents immigrated to the United States in the 1970s chasing the American dream in hopes for a better life. He recalls growing up watching his father work, developing his own love for the restaurant industry at a young age. “I'm a people person. I enjoy the variability in my days and solving people’s problems,” Spiro said. With the space solidified, Spiro and George sought to bring their vision to life. They weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel or stray from what gyros are. They wanted to bring their own fresh take to invite more customers in.

*The storefront in Washington Bridge Plaza. Source: Alexandra Foster*

“We sat down and said, what are people not doing?” Given the popularity of bowls, they decided to incorporate that element to appeal to a more American crowd. Spiro and George also worked in tandem with their head chef to craft menu items that bring their own unique flair to traditional Greek dishes. The chef, also from Kefalonia whom Spiro knew from a young age, was into the concept early on. “He said, ‘If you ever want to do this type of thing, I'm on board.’ He loved that it was going to break the mold of a traditional souvlaki gyro place.” And thus The Gyro Project was born.

*Seating inside The Gyro Project. Source: Alexandra Foster*

Bringing Greece In

All of The Gyro Project’s menu items are made using high quality ingredients, many of which are directly imported from Greece such as the olive oil, feta, and sour cherry preserves. Even the coffee served is brewed by a young entrepreneur from Greece who roasts the beans in Brooklyn. “Everything we can get from Greece down to the paper bags, the boxes, the skewers, is coming from Greece. It just makes sense to get it from the people who have mastered it,” Spiro stated.

The ambience and decor of The Gyro Project are too inspired by Greek architecture and landscapes. “We just didn't want to look like anybody else. We wanted to give it its own identity and didn’t want it to feel like a cliche. So we really focused on the design.”

They aimed to create an atmosphere that made patrons feel like they were dining in a full-service restaurant, but eliminate the element of a wait staff. This model strategically brings down costs while allowing them to serve more upscale, entree-level dishes to customers at a lower price. “How many quick serve restaurants have lamb chops? The customer deserved a nicer space,” Spiro argued.

The Gyro Project is clean, light, bright and takes on a cozier vibe at night with dim lighting. The white walls and ceilings, greenery, natural wood tables and chairs, and marble finishings transport guests to the indoor-outdoor feel found on the cliffs of Greece. The color scheme is blue and white - the colors of the Greek flag - and the logo also features the evil eye, a Greek good luck charm. “We didn't want it to feel like a fast food place. We are putting in good quality for a reason,” Spiro said.

*Falafel and pita bread. Source: Alexandra Foster*

What’s On the Menu

The Gyro Project has options to satisfy anyone’s palette. Appetizers include grilled halloumi cheese served with sour cherry preserves, dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice) and falafel (featuring George’s recipe also used at fresh&co). Indulge in a variety of dips such as their classic tzatziki, spicy feta, and hummus, all served with fresh pita bread. As per the name, they serve gyros, bowls, pitas, and platters featuring different protein options such as feta-brined rotisserie chicken and served with sides such as fries topped with kefalotiri cheese and TGP sauce.

Main dishes include classic Greek staples like moussaka (baked layers of eggplant, potato, ground beef, and bechamel sauce) and pastichio (baked bucatini with ground beef, and bechamel sauce). For lighter options, try the Greek salad or prassini salad (finely chopped salad with lettuce, dill, parsley, feta and homemade green goddess dressing).

Need an easy dinner on the go? Take home a souvlaki box (grilled sticks of meat from a choice of chicken, pork or shrimp sold in boxes of 6, 12, 18, or 24). “You can feed the whole family at an affordable price, which is very much like back home. It's common to go to a souvlaki house [in Greece] and say hey, I want 12 sticks with pita bread,” Spiro said.

Finish off your meal with something sweet by sampling their frozen greek yogurt with various toppings or indulge in loukoumades (traditional Greek donuts).

Taste Test

As a vegetarian, I tried an assortment of their plant-based options which included dolmades, falafel and pita bread, spanakopita, Greek salad, and fries. The dolmades filled with rice weren’t overly salty and the high quality olive oil they were made with shone through. The golden falafel balls had a crisp exterior revealing flavorful herby chickpea goodness inside, and the pita bread was pillowy soft. Both paired well with the tangy tzatziki and greek goddess dressing. The greek salad was fresh, and the crumbles of feta gave a salty bite. The fries were also crispy, hand cut from real potatoes, and showered in an aromatic dusting of wild oregano.

*Spanakopita, dolmades, Greek salad, and fries. Source: Alexandra Foster*

The spanakopita was incredible - probably the best I’ve ever had. The flaky, delicate layers of phyllo dough were buttery, and the spinach and feta filling had a lovely flavor. To drink, I had their cold-brewed peach tea which was refreshing and paired nicely with the meal. Overall, everything tasted delicious, wasn’t too heavy, and the portions were great for the value.

Final Recommendation

The Gyro Project also caters and Spiro and George hope to open up another location soon. If you’re in Fort Lee or on your commute into Manhattan, stop by before crossing the George Washington Bridge. For all the meat lovers, try Spiro’s favorite - the classic pork gyro. “Pork gyro is what started it all in Greece. I guess I'm biased but it's in the veins.”