Mr. Souvlaki will offer Greek food inside Urban Eats in Dutchtown in February

Greek food is coming to Urban Eats at 3301 Meramec St. in Dutchtown in early February, courtesy of Mr. Souvlaki. Owner Jerry Stamson will bring Mr. Souvlaki’s gyros, souvlaki and signature Greek fried chicken sandwich to the new storefront at the food hall, shared kitchen and food business incubator.

Since launching Mr. Souvlaki in 2022, Stamson has built the business mainly through a regular presence at the Farmers’ Market at The Boulevard, as reported by St. Louis Magazine. Stamson said he plans to feature again at the market this year, but the space at Urban Eats gives him an opportunity to introduce a midweek clientele to Mr. Souvlaki.

Stamson said Mr. Souvlaki will initially be open three days a week, Wednesday through Friday, likely from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Saturdays may be added into the mix in the summer.

Stamson said the opening menu will be based around best-selling items from The Boulevard, including chicken souvlaki, gyros, spanakopita and a Mr. Souvlaki signature, the Greek fried chicken sandwich. The fried chicken is marinated in a combination of buttermilk and the same Greek marinade used for the souvlaki, before being breaded with a combination of flour and a dry spice rub. The fried chicken is served on a bun with housemade tzatziki and Macedonian peppers. It’s a dish Stamson said has served as a good entry point for first-time customers at the farmers market. “I feel like that brought more people to the booth that otherwise wouldn’t maybe be interested in traditional Greek food,” he said. Sides offered at the Urban Eats storefront will include fries and a Greek farmer’s salad, with drinks including Greek coffee.

Stamson has many other items ready to roll out once he finds his feet at Urban Eats. “We’ll be looking to eventually add more stuff as we get going, but just starting out we’ll keep the menu real simple,” Stamson said. “People can get in and out pretty quick, it’s easy-to-eat stuff, easy to transport if they want to take it to work or whatever.”

Among the items Stamson is keeping in reserve include Greek meatballs and a Greek breakfast pastry he created that packs gyro meat, egg and feta into a phyllo pastry pocket (he also does an “American” breakfast pastry with bacon, egg and cheese). “When summertime rolls around, Saturday we’ll be open for breakfast and lunch, and we’ll introduce the breakfast items back on the menu then,” Stamson said.

Mr. Souvlaki will also showcase Stamson’s range of desserts, which he offers under his Samonides Sweets brand. His baklava has always been a staple at The Boulevard market, but he’s since expanded his line of sweets to include a tiramisu cheesecake, baklava cheesecake and more. The menu at Mr. Souvlaki’s will include the baklava, as well as a rotating cheesecake of the month.

Eventually, Stamson hopes to open his own space, but he believes Urban Eats has provided a good launchpad for other food businesses and he hopes it can provide a similar platform for Mr. Souvlaki.

Stamson said he’s targeting a Feb. 7 soft opening, building up to a full launch by approximately Feb. 21.