For the past two years, the Greek Devil has helped satiate the appetites of hungry Dukies year-round. Offering Greek-style food, the Devil has become a popular eating spot on campus with its own loyal regulars. The Chronicle’s Chinmayi Sharma recently spoke with co-owner Gus Megaloudis about the food cart’s history, growth and plans for the future.
The Chronicle: How long has the Greek Devil been around?
Gus Megaloudis: This is our third year coming up, it’s still a baby.
TC: Why did you start it?
GM: Well, frankly, the school needed good Greek food. Me and my partner George Bakatsias, we are Greek and this is our business. We own nine other restaurants. We have three in Durham, two in Greensboro, one in Wake Forest, two in Chapel Hill and one in Cary. Most of our restaurants aren’t Greek, but our nationality is Greek, and we like to cook Greek. It’s our heritage. It’s who we are.
TC: When did you open your first restaurant?
GM: It’s been about 20 years. The students go there often. It’s called Parizade.
TC: How has the cart changed over the years?
GM: We started out small, and we have built on it by catering towards what kids ask for. We started out with a very limited menu, and then we asked students what they wanted and tried to work with them as much as we can. We cook ourselves, so we were willing to try all sorts of new things to see if we can give them exactly what they were looking for.
TC: What are your favorite parts of the job?
GM: Best part of the job is interacting with the kids and making friends. It’s a great place to work and a great atmosphere. I tell my wife I’m the happiest guy in the world. These are bright kids with futures, and they have smiles on their faces, so that makes me happy.
TC: Is it a lucrative business?
GM: I do it because it makes money (laughs)—we have to make money, but it is also something that is fun for me to do. I’m not there to make a killing. On the whole, I’m there because I like being there.
TC: Where do you spend most of your time?
GM: I spend most of my time at the cart during the school year instead of all the other restaurants. Those are established business, so they don’t need me there. When classes are in session, I am there almost 14 hours, but it’s not that bad because I get a month off for Christmas, a week for Spring break and three months for summer. I’m off as much as the kids are.
TC: What are your goals for the future/where do you want to take the Greek Devil?
GM: Next year, we will be opening a fruit, nut and vegetable stand on campus with honey, nuts and fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers. So many kids were saying they couldn’t find good fruits and vegetables on campus, and so we came up with a plan to open up another cart. Dining services has been a great help. Our ultimate goal is to get inside the dining hall to cook Greek food right in front of the kids. Now we are cooking the food in our restaurants, packing and shipping it over. We want to have our cooks come in and make the food right there instead.
TC: What were some struggles the cart has faced?
GM: We were tiny at the beginning because kids were in a comfort zone—they were used to eating one thing. Kids wouldn’t even be willing to try our food but with patience and time we got through it, and now we’re doing really well.
TC: What distinguishes the Greek Devil from other eateries on campus?
GM: We are really healthy, and we’re flexible. We like to give students what they want, and the kids all want good-for-you food now. Everyone’s trying to go healthy. Now we have Greek yogurt, Vitamin Water, juices and we are going to try to get rid of the soft drinks. They asked for it.
TC: Do you have anything to say to past, current and future customers?
GM: I just want to thank everybody for their support. It’s been great watching this little tiny business grow. The students did great work spreading the news of us around by word of mouth. That’s the bulk of our advertising. I look forward to serving everyone in the future.
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