Friends and family know how Yannis Mereos’s new restaurant is doing by looking at his facial hair.
During a good week, Mereos, 40, won't shave. It's superstition, said the Silver Spring native who two months ago opened the Fresh Greek Grill in Four Corners, near the intersection of University Boulevard and Colesville Road. His hope was to create a viable small business around the corner from where his father, Harry, owned and operated the well-known eatery Country Kitchen.
Lately, though, with more competition from national franchises and a shaky economy, Mereos has struggled to gain a foothold in a county with about 1,500 food establishments, according to data from the Maryland Restaurant Association.
When business is light, Mereos shaves every day. He’s been shaving a lot more often than he’d prefer.
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“I’m trying. There’s a lot of old things that don’t work anymore,” Mereos said. “I don’t feel as comfortable as I did before [when the restaurant opened].”
Mereos’ menu is full of the Greek staples he learned to prepare while working in his parents’ diners in Silver Spring and Bethesda. He owned a similar Greek restaurant near Gallery Place in the District before rising rent prices forced him to look elsewhere. He returned to Silver Spring, hoping the $2,500-per-month rent and “mom and pop” feel of the neighborhood would mean more success.
“This area is a good area for this kind of restaurant,” Mereos said. “The community has evolved, and people are watching what they spend, but this is a strong, working-class area. This area is strong no matter what. I don’t think it would work in other areas of the county.”
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In the county, Silver Spring’s per capita annual income is $36,189, according to the 2010 Census, and that of the more affluent Bethesda is $78,406. Maryland’s average annual income is $34,236.
The gyro is his bestseller, popular during the lunch rush and easy to package in a value meal for students and staff at nearby Montgomery Blair High School. There’s spanakopita, souvlaki, a horiatiki salad and baklava.
But after a relatively strong run in December, Mereos said an increasing number of diners have ditched his shop for Chipotle, the popular Mexican food chain that opened a franchise on the other side of Colesville Road last month.
“That always affects any business. I can’t compete with their marketing ability,” Mereos said. “I’m staring at empty tables and chairs, while they have a line to the door for food that is more expensive.”
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Chipotle is not the only franchise in Four Corners, and Mereos has tinkered with new ideas since opening. He puts deals on Groupon. He’s considering a delivery option, although he said it’s sometimes difficult to balance gas and transportation costs. He set up outside seating — 10 tables near the sidewalk on University Boulevard, something he said few other Four Corners restaurants offer.
Montgomery County doesn’t track restaurant success and failure rates. A 2005 Cornell University study found that 27 percent of independent restaurants fail during the first year of operation.
Mereos isn’t yet thinking about giving up on the business. Despite the hours — he devotes nearly all of his time to the restaurant, open six days a week — and the other stresses, Mereos thinks he can succeed.
“Making your own business is an option I like,” Mereos said. “That’s the thing about owning a restaurant. I won’t starve. You never have to worry about what to eat.”
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