Worcester State employee opens Greek restaurant in Worcester

Image | Courtesy of Google Maps Gyro and Souvlaki opened its location on 623 Chandler St. in Worcester.

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Gyro & Souvlaki opened on 623 Chandler St. on Saturday, bringing a taste of Greek cuisine to Worcester.

The owner of the restaurant, Anisa Hoxha Luarasi has been the director of budget, planning, and policy development at Worcester State University since 2015. Prior to that, she worked as a financial analyst at the university, according to her LinkedIn.

An Albanian native, Luarasi opened the restaurant to bring authentic Greek cuisine to the area, something she said has been missing from Worcester.

“We had an overwhelming response on Saturday. I wasn’t anticipating such a high number of people on our first day,” Luarasi said in a phone call interview. “I am very grateful and I appreciate the community coming to support us.”

The restaurant is operating from the former location of Root & Press cafe and bookshop, which moved to Shrewsbury Street in October 2023.

Gyro & Souvlaki is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., serving lunch and dinner. A catering menu is coming soon, according to the restaurant’s website.

Their menu includes popular Greek cuisine such as gyros, souvlakis, and salads. Sandwiches are served in pita bread, and topped with tzatziki, a yogurt cucumber garlic sauce, according to their menu. Gyro and souvlaki plates are served for dinner, and include a greek salad, tzatziki sauce and pita bread.

Sara Bedigian is a participant in the Editorial Internship Program at Worcester Business Journal. She is a rising junior at the University of Connecticut, where she studies journalism and political science. She will be the editor of the student-run newspaper The Daily Campus in the fall.