A standing room only crowd celebrated the Grand Opening of Gyros & Tzatziki restaurant at 3111 24th Street at Folsom on January 28. Owner Cem Bulutoglu welcomed 75 guests to enjoy a complimentary buffet and join in a champagne toast given by LGBTQ performer and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Donna Sachet.
The event was coordinated and emceed by LGBTQ leader Gary Virginia, who has been friends with Bulutoglu since helping him open his prior restaurant, Gyro Xpress in the Castro, nine years ago.
Speaking and helping with the ribbon cutting were San Francisco District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen, Artist Kurt Stoeckel, Susana Rojas, Executive Director of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, Sachet, Virginia, and Bulutoglu.
Adding to the festivities was an exhibit of work spanning 50 years by Artist Kurt Stoeckel, who has lived in the nearby Bernal Heights neighborhood since 1994. In 2008, Stoeckel started teaching photography and theater technology classes in a local high school and did so for many years but now focuses on his studio work. While he’s well known for his paper cutout works, his media span photography, painting, and sculpture. Nearing 80 years of age, he was warmly welcomed and several works of art were sold at the celebration.
Small business owner Bulutoglu’s successful formula for delicious, casual Mediterranean food is being well received on the busy 24th Street corridor of the Mission district. Already the restaurant has earned a perfect five-star rating with 41 reviews at Yelp as of this writing.
One review by Katelyn D., for example, mentions: “AMAZING food, the only place that has inspired me to write a review on here. It tastes very fresh and high quality. A true gem, I’m obsessed with this place!” Another reviewer Amy T. wrote, “Love this addition to the neighborhood! Really delicious casual Mediterranean spot with a SUPER friendly owner. Highly recommend its namesake tzatziki (comes with plenty of warm pita) and beef kefta, which is perfectly grilled. There are lots of Mediterranean/Greek restaurants in the area, but this is truly one of the best. The interior is also really cute!”
Recently Bulutoglu was asked how business was going given all the rainy weather since the opening and he replied, “Customers are loving the green lentil and traditional Greek avgolemono soups, and our gyro wraps are our number one seller! We already have regular customers who live nearby. I love this colorful neighborhood.”
The full menu is available for dine in or take out with delivery available through Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub during operating hours: Sunday–Thursday 10 am to 9 pm and Friday–Saturday 10 am to 10 pm. The menu is at
Catering is offered by calling 415-400-4962.
Published on March 23, 2023
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