A little Greek history at Twins Pizza and Steaks August 5, 2007
Posted by grhomeboy in HMN>GreekTasteWorld.trackback
Twins Pizza and Steaks in LaFayette has been recently given a facelift in an effort to create a more family-oriented establishment and to bring a little bit of Chattanooga dining to LaFayette.
Known by his friends as “Key”, Kyriakos Koukos, owner of Twins Pizza and Steaks in LaFayette, left his home country of Greece in 1971 in order to have political freedoms and to live the American dream. Koukos became a U.S. citizen in 1975 in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., where he opened and ran his first restaurant called The Gondola House. He put in about a 15-hour workday at his restaurant, experimenting with various ingredients to make the perfect sauce and dough, and began his dream to become a successful U.S. citizen.
During the recession in 1980, business was not good for the new citizen, so in 1981 he closed his business in Lawrenceburg and moved his family to LaFayette. Upon moving to LaFayette, he was welcomed by many families who believed in his dream and gave him the support he needed to be successful once again, including the Abneys, Danas, Gilberts and Jacksons.
In 1983, he opened his first restaurant in LaFayette, The Western Sirloin located on Highway 27. He stayed at this location for about a year and closed it due to the Western Sizzler Steak House opening down the road.
After closing the Western Sirloin, he decided to go back to his specialty, which was making fresh pizzas daily from scratch. He opened his next restaurant called Gondola Pizza on North Main Street. He stayed at this location for seven years and had hoped to pass the business on to his brother-in-law while he opened another restaurant in LaFayette. While building the new location, his brother-in-law decided not to make the move from California to Georgia permanent.
He built a new restaurant in the LaFayette Center on North Main Street and changed the name of his restaurant once again, the new name being Twins Pizza and Steaks. The name “Twins” derives from the buy-one, get-one-free pizzas he sells.
Key stayed at this location for four years until a plot of land was for sale on North Main Street. He purchased this land and had his second Twins Pizza and Steaks built. Twins Pizza and Steaks has been at this location for the past 12 years. Being at this location the longest, he has recently given his restaurant a facelift, trying to create a more family-oriented establishment and trying to bring a little bit of Chattanooga dining to LaFayette.
This year marks Koukos being in business for 25 years. He has employed three generations of families, all of which could tell a story or two about the “loud Greek man.” Patrons are invited to check out the new look and food, and say “Yasou”, which in Greek means “hello,” if they see Key.
