Restaurant reopens after relocation
LEWISTON – Jimmy Koutsikos is back in business.
The 27-year-old owner of Lewiston House of Pizza hopes word is getting out that his restaurant is up and operating at its new location on Lincoln Street.
The restaurant was one of the two businesses that had to relocate earlier this year when the city took the building at 49 Main St. by eminent domain and demolished it to enhance the downtown.
“They said it was an eyesore, but look what’s there instead: Smokey’s Greater Show,” said Koutsikos, referring to the carnival rides set up there last weekend as part of the Great Falls Balloon Festival. “I think of that as an eyesore.”
It’s unlikely anyone would call his new building an eyesore – it’s brand new. Located next to the former Grand Trunk Railroad depot, the new restaurant is a neat, two-story dwelling that cost Koutsikos $300,000 to build.
The first floor has silver-colored booths and sage-colored tables and chairs with a TV nestled in one corner of the dining area. Upstairs there’s additional interior seating and a TV, and an outdoor deck with eight shaded picnic tables.
The deck was a popular spot for viewing the hot-air balloons during the festival, said Koutsikos. In fact, the restaurant was packed during the festival and really put his 16 employees through their paces.
He said he was grateful for the business, though, since he’s trying to make up for being closed for five months. He left his old premises in February and the new restaurant wasn’t ready to open until the first week of August.
“When you’re out of business for so long, people start eating elsewhere,” he said. “It takes time to build the business back up again.”
There are some advantages to the new location for diners. The seating capacity at the new restaurant is 130 while it was only 50 at the old place. There’s also parking adjacent to the restaurant, an amenity lacking in the former location.
Still, Koutsikos liked the old spot. Situated right at the end of Longley Bridge connecting Lewiston and Auburn, it had terrific visibility. Koutsikos bought the eatery more than five years ago, and at that time, he said, business was “terrible;” he tripled it in five years.
He learned the food business from his family, who own several restaurants in Massachusetts and Maine. There’s a hint of Koutsikos’ Greek heritage at House of Pizza: There’s a pan of baklava near the cash register and you can order gyros, a combination of beef, lamb and spices, from the menu.
The menu is rounded out with salads, pasta dinners, burgers, subs and, of course, pizzas. Beer and wine are also served. Takeout and delivery are offered.
Koutsikos said he’ll need a year in the new location to assess whether it’s a good move. He says he doesn’t bear any ill will toward the city employees who were involved in the change. He was grateful for the city’s help in securing a low-interest loan to finance the new restaurant.
“I think I’ll be for the long haul,” he said. “I like owning my own business. And no one’s going to kick me out of here unless I get paid real good!”
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