Long Island restaurateurs partner to launch The Greek

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Two veterans of the Long Island restaurant industry are partnering to launch a new fast-casual concept called The Greek Eats & Sweets. 

Eddie Galatoulas and George Ntourmas (pronounced Door-mas) plan to debut the first eatery of the new brand next month in a 2,300-square-foot space at 408 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset. 

The Greek, which will have 38 seats for dining in, will mostly focus on take-out of its authentic Greek and Mediterranean menu, featuring gyros, souvlaki, pastitsio, saganaki, falafel and more. Among its sweets offerings will be homemade baklava, galaktoboureko (custard baked in phyllo) and loukoumades (Greek donuts with honey). 

“It’s a Greek take-out concept using authentic recipes like yaya used to make with a modern twist,” Ntourmas said. 

Both of The Greek’s partners have long histories in the food business. Growing up in Plainview, Ntourmas is a 30-year restaurant industry veteran who has worked in pizzerias since he was a teenager. He opened Giorgio’s in Nesconset when he was just 24 and went on to own and manage several other eateries through the years. 

Galatoulas started out in 1987 with five pushcarts serving coffee and donuts in Manhattan. A decade later the entrepreneur owned five food trucks serving industrial parks and businesses on Long Island, before becoming a wholesaler of restaurant equipment. 

On a trip to buy some used equipment from a restaurant called American Kitchen & Cocktails in Massapequa, Galatoulas wound up leasing the space and opened New York Burger Bar in 2015. After a fire shut down the place in 2016, Galatoulas came up with a new brand called Burgerology, opening its first location in Rockville Centre. The popular Burgerology chain has since grown to eight restaurants on Long Island, Queens and Manhattan, and Burgerology fare is also served at UBS Arena in Elmont as the official burger of the New York Islanders. 

In fact, the eatery that previously occupied the same Syosset space as The Greek was a Burgerology Express, which opened as a quick-service restaurant in Feb. 2021. But the concept, which featured smaller burgers and a more limited menu than the brand’s full-sized locations, didn’t prosper as much as the rest of the chain. 

“It wasn’t the complete Burgerology experience,” Galatoulas told LIBN. “It deviated from what made the brand successful, so we decided to go in a different direction.” 

That’s when Galatoulas called on family friend Ntourmas. 

“Eddie reached out to me because he knew I had opened a Greek take-out concept a few years ago and asked me if I was interested in doing something similar here,” Ntourmas said. 

Larry Weinberger, head of Bellmore-based MGD Investments which manages the Syosset property, predicts The Greek will do well. 

“Before it was Burgerology Express, this space was the first Long Island outpost of Mamoun’s, the famous Middle Eastern concept that is popular in New York City,” Weinberger said. “Unfortunately, the Mamoun’s franchisee didn’t have the experience to make it through the challenging COVID period. But the community was very enthusiastic when Mamoun’s opened and there were constant long lines, that’s why I think The Greek will be extremely well received.” 

The new restaurant’s partners are also confident and while they are starting out with the one location in Syosset, they expect to expand The Greek brand in the future. 

“If this is a success, we’re set up to open numerous locations of the concept throughout Long Island and beyond,” Galatoulas said.