Red Bank Green

Greek Eats, a fast-and-healthy restaurant selling gyros, opens Tuesday at 89 Newman Springs Road in Shrewsbury.

Joining Platypus furniture and Megacycle spin gym, it’s the third and final entry in a new three-tenant building erected by developer Metrovation on the former site of Memory Bowling, which was destroyed in a spectacular 2009 blaze.

Owners Charlie, George and Taso Lyristis — who also own the Bistro and Teak, both in Red Bank, and earlier this year sold Zoe, in Little Silver — modeled Greek Eats on Chipotle Mexican Grill, where customers “build” their own meals at a cafeteria-style counter. In this case, the starting point is the choice of pita, salad, or plate. Then diners load up with their choice of chicken, pork or beef and lamb, followed by sauces and toppings.

The meats are free of MSG and other preservatives and fillers, George tells Retail Churn.

“If you went to a gyro place in Greece, this is what you’d see spinning,” he says, pointing to three vertical rotisseries of sizzling meats. Charlie notes that the proper pronunciation of the name is “YEE-ro,” which he said most Americans seem to get, but New Jerseyans turn into “JY-ro.”

The flavors at Greek Eats are strictly Greek: bifteki, or ground beef and lamb with Greek herbs; tzaziki, or a yogurt-based cold sauce that comes in three varieties, including a kicky sriracha; halloumi cheese, a springy substance that retains its form even while being imparted with the flavor of grilling. Even the soda case is loaded with beverages from Greece.

The 40-seat restaurant features a clean industrial design created by Red Bank architect Steve Raciti supplemented by bold branding by Asbury Park’s M Studio. The result is a simple look with a simple menu that the Lyristis brothers hope to make ubiquitous by creating more Greek Eats restaurants, with an eye toward franchising, said George.

Through the end of the year, the Lyristises plan to donate all profits from the business to Stomp the Monster, a charity that provides support to cancer patients and caregivers.

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