This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Patrick Loftus had hoped to eat one last cheeseburger combo at The Royal Eatery before his retirement later this week.
When he arrived Tuesday at the Salt Lake City restaurant, however, crews were ripping out the interior. Owner Deno Priskos delivered the news — after 35 years in business, the downtown eatery famous for its Greek-American fare was closed.
It will reopen in about eight weeks as an Apollo Burger.
Like a string of other regulars who stopped by for a late breakfast, Loftus was surprised and saddened. "Once you find a place that's good, you want to keep coming back," he said. "And the food here is good."
Priskos had posted signs months ago, announcing that Royal Eatery was merging with the Apollo Burger chain, another longtime Utah business with Greek ties.
But not everyone heard the news in time to make a final visit before Saturday, the last day of business.
The closing is bittersweet, said Priskos, whose Greek immigrant parents, Chris and Tula, opened the restaurant at the intersection of 400 South and Main Street in 1981.
Initially, it was to be a joint venture between Priskos' father and one of his uncles. But when the uncle decided to move to California, Chris and Tula (along with their children) had to rise to the challenge.
"When my dad opened, neither of us had ever flipped eggs before," he said. "We were hoping everyone would order scrambled."
Besides the popular breakfast — which initially cost $1.89 — the family served all-American hamburgers, fries and shakes as well as Greek specialties such as gyros and marinated pork skewers.
Through the years, the homey and affordable eatery became a regular stop for all kinds of downtown workers and visitors. Bank tellers and construction workers ate there alongside tourists, lawyers, judges and politicians.
"A lot of deals have been made in here," said Priskos, who was 12 when his family first opened the business.
He worked alongside his father for many years before purchasing the business in 1998. Nine years later, he and his older brother, Vasilios Priskos, purchased the red brick building formerly known as the New Grand Hotel.
The restaurant survived the floods down State Street and two different light-rail construction projects. Located in a prime commercial location in the heart of the city, large companies — including 7-Eleven — have approached the family about buying the building.
But the family always refused. "It had to be something we felt good about," Priskos noted.
Priskos and Michael Ziouras, owner of Apollo Burger, have been friends for decades. They are godparents to each other's children. They have talked about joining forces for years.
"Merging gets me out of the trenches and takes some of the pressure off him," said Priskos. "It will be great for both of us."
It should be good for customers, too.
Apollo Burger restaurants already have added a breakfast menu that mirrors Royal Eatery's, he said.
And Royal Eatery's longtime cook, Wilson Clement, and manager Lora Thompson are being retained. They will work at the new Apollo Burger when it reopens in September.
"For 35 years, we took care of people," Priskos said. "I hope we can continue to do that."