Gyro Stand gets upgrade

SANDUSKY — A battered minivan squeaked up to the corner of Columbus Avenue and Washington Row where employees at The Gyro Stand were hard at work crafting Greek-style sandwiches. The driver shouted, "I love your truck this year. This place is awesome." Employees and brothers Josh and Jake Hiser simply smiled and said, "See, people know us." The Gyro Stand has been churning out tender lamb swaddled in warm buttered pita since the 1990s. Josh Hiser, a 2018 Sandusky High School graduate, started assembling gyros for his dad, Dave Kluding, when he was 16. Josh, 23, and Jake, 22, are beginning to take over the reins of what their father started. These days, they're considered The Gyro Stand's main operators, but Dave still helps out quite a bit. "This thing is older than us," Josh said about the longstanding business. "This is something that's been passed down to us, and it's pretty much a staple now. If you ask somebody about (the truck), they'll know what you're talking about." A change in leadership isn't the only new aspect of The Gyro Stand. It's now operating out of a larger, enclosed, roofed truck — safe from inclement weather — an upgrade from the decades-old cart that many locals remember. The main purpose for the change, though, revolves around efficiency. Despite the adjustments that come with an updated kitchen-on-wheels, the ingredients, menu items and products are all the same as they were back when debuting in 1993. The main difference now? "It's just now a two-man operation to make it quicker," Josh said. "One dude mans the grill, then the other will be up here. He'll dress it, serve it and take the orders. So it goes a lot quicker that way." An investment like this also signals the family's long-term commitment to Sandusky, Kluding and the Hisers said. As for what keeps locals coming back to the stand, the brothers touted the consistency in service or the hot sauce and tzatziki combo that permeates the tomatoes and sauteed onions. "A lot of places don't do hot sauce. That's the key right there," Jake said. In addition to the classic Greek gyro, the stand serves steak and veggie gyros, hot dogs and offers a variety of chips and soda. "The support we get on Facebook is pretty insane too," Josh said. "I'll have people message me like 15 times a day saying, 'Hey, you guys down there? Where you at? Where have you been?' If we're not here daily we get a lot of questions." During the summer, people can visit The Gyro Stand from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at Columbus Avenue and West Washington Row. Updated hours and announcements can be found on its Facebook page, The Gyro Stand. What's in a sound? Many people pronounced the word "gyro" differently. If you're ordering at The Gyro Stand in Sandusky, here's how to sound it out: • If you're stating the business name, say, "ji-row." • If you're talking about the food, say "yee-row."