Greek cuisine is a family affair in Jefferson City. So it should come as no surprise the olive tree has sprouted another branch in the local restaurant scene.
Theo's Midtown is Theodore Mastrogiannis' way of returning to his culinary roots.
The restaurant under construction at 620 W. McCarty St. will serve gyros, sandwiches and pastas in addition to its "bread and butter" - classic Greek-style pizza.
Mastrogiannis - son of restaurateur Alex Mastrogiannis, who owns Alexandro's Restaurant and T.G.'s Lounge on Missouri Boulevard - said he has been cooking professionally since age 15.
"We've been involved in the restaurant business since I was born," Mastrogiannis said. "I ran the kitchen at Alexandro's for 20 some-odd years, but I decided to kind of go back to my roots of making Greek-style pizza."
His father was an original partner at Johnny's Pizza & Steakhouse, also on Missouri Boulevard, until he branched out to Alexandro's in 1991.
"From about 12 years old, I was in the back making pizzas. When you're young in a Greek family, it's completely different: You get up, and if you can walk, you can work," Mastrogiannis laughed.
While the menu will offer a variety of choices, the "artisanal" pizza, in Mastrogiannis' words, will be the star of the show.
"If you're familiar with Arris' (Pizza) and Pizzaria (Napolitana), that recipe is similar," he said, noting he's not concerned about it standing out in Jefferson City's pizza-heavy restaurant scene. "There's pizza, and then there's pizza. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel; I'm trying to add a new perspective to it."
When he discovered the non-operational bus station on West McCarty Street had become available in 2012, Mastrogiannis had been deciding whether he wanted to stay in Jefferson City or pursue opportunities elsewhere.
"So when that came up I thought, 'Here's my shot,' because finding a place in Jeff City is really hard," he said. "It was kind of a no-brainer with the location."
Slowed some by navigating a purchase from the building's joint ownership between Jefferson City and the federal government, Mastrogiannis began renovation on the building early this summer.
The restaurant's location next to a plain of state government parking lots offers a natural lunch-hour and after-hours clientele just outside the main downtown area.
"It's very convenient for them to come and patronize us," Mastrogiannis said. "All they have to do is just walk on up if they want to take something to go or if they want to sit outside."
In the project's beginning stages, he considered leaving it at that - a walk-up and delivery restaurant. But thinking outside the box - and outside the existing building - will allow for an open-concept dining room with plenty of indoor seating in addition to the patio.
The original bus station building will comprise the prep kitchen, walk-in coolers, office and restrooms, while the new construction built around it will expand the available dining area.
And a certain piece of the building's history will remain on display, on the inside rather than the outside - the "Jefferson City Transit Station" designation engraved on the bus station's exterior will be framed in the brick that will cover most of the interior walls.
"I remember as a kid, during the flood, that's one of the first places that we parked in front of to see where the water was in that area," Mastrogiannis said. "I kind of want to leave that. I kind of wanted to give it its respect and its due to leave it the way it was."
Know of any new businesses, renovations or other happenings around Jefferson City? Let us know at [email protected].