Gyro House aims for late August opening, bringing Waukesha 'authentic' Greek cuisine

WAUKESHA - In a city where family-run Greek restaurants were once common in the heart of Waukesha, the gyro stood as a typical dining fare for decades before a decline attributed to a variety of factors picked them off the menu one by one.

For whatever reason, few Greek eateries took the places of the old ones. In fact, if Gyros West, the Greek diner off Manhattan Drive and Moreland Boulevard, hadn't closed at the end of 2023, Andreas Protopapas might not have followed through on his own desire to operate what he calls an "authentic" Greek restaurant in Waukesha.

Protopapas isn't holding back any longer.

Gyro House, 2110 E. Moreland Blvd., will open in the spot previously occupied by Papa Murphy's in the Westbrook Shopping Center, also along Moreland and near the eastern terminus of Main Street on Waukesha's east side, by the end of August. He's planning on setting the table, complete with tablecloths from Greece, with a menu that steps behind the restaurant's name.

Gyro House will feature a full authentic Greek menu

"It's not just gyros, you know," Protopapas said in a phone interview. "It's going to be like a Greek restaurant, Chicago-style."

In his authentically heavy Greek accent, an obvious sign about his own ties to his native homeland he left in 1996, he quickly rattles off some of the items on the menu. But then he hesitates, perhaps sensing that not everyone will quickly absorb what it means when he says "kolokithakia tiganita" with "skordalia" (fried zucchini with garlic sauce) or "garidomakaronada" (Mykonos shrimp pasta). So he quickly redirects his descriptions toward Gyro House's Facebook page, which includes the Greek names, English translations and tantalizing images to match.

In all, the menu will include about 40 food items, including appetizers and burgers.

The Facebook page has been drawing comments from presumed customers since mid-March, when Protopapas began posting the pictures and descriptions of Greek dishes in a slow buildup that will culminate in Gyro House's opening. A temporary sign hanging over the restaurant's front façade has likewise garnered attention well in advance.

Gyros West closing partially prompted new restaurant

None of it would be happening except for the closing of Gyros West, the diner that stood for 33 years on East Moreland Boulevard before owners Kristina and Peter Haideman's June 2023 announcement that the end was near. (The property, also owned by the Haidemans, was sold as part of a car dealership redevelopment.)

Protopapas said Gyros West's closing furthered his interest in opening a local Greek restaurant. "It was a major a decision, because I wouldn't open it (before) because (Peter Haideman) was my friend, a family friend," Protopapas said. "I wouldn't have opened next to him if he was still open."

Beyond the closing of Gyros West, he was never truly convinced the region could boast the kind of Greek restaurant he favored. He has felt that way since he emigrated from Greece 28 years ago, even finding reason for dissatisfaction in the Chicago market.

"There's nothing like a nice Greek place to eat with authentic food," he said. "That's what I'm doing. Even the tablecloths I'm bringing in from Greece. Even where we are going to pull the house wine from, it's based on Greece. ... It's going to be amazing. You're going to feel like you're in Greece."

Gyro House fills a void left by loss of Greek restaurants

The site's conversion, from a no-seat Papa Murphy's take-home-to-bake pizza place to a full-service sit-down restaurant, has been an extensive four-wall remodeling, which in the end will include eight indoor tables (plus eight seasonal outdoor tables).

In addition to Gyros West, other central Waukesha mainstays known for Greek all-day cuisine and ownership bowed out in the new century. Those included Jennifer's (which later became Calypso under different ownership) on East Broadway, Cherub's (in what was once the Bakers Square site) on Moreland Boulevard, Christina's (which reopened as the Coop, a breakfast and lunch eatery in 2020 under new ownership after George and Peggy Papagiannis stepped aside) on Delafield Street. Sunset Family Restaurant on Waukesha's south side and Spring City Family Restaurant on the north side remain.

Like those others, Gyro House will be open seven days a week for lunch and supper, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Protopapas said. He's quick to point out that the restaurant, however, will be closed on major holidays so that workers "can be with their families. Tell everyone that."

Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Gyro House to open in Waukesha, featuring authentic Greek cuisine