Gus and Yiayia's is a

food cart A food cart is a mobile kitchen set up on the street to prepare and sell street food to passers-by. Food carts are often found in cities worldwide selling food of every kind. Food carts come in two basic styles. One allows the vendor to sit ...

located in Allegheny Commons Park in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. Established in 1934, it is best known for serving ice balls for kids during summer.

History

This foodstand was originally established in 1917. Gus Kalaris' father then bought the cart in 1934 for $175 ($3,295.30 adjusted for inflation in 2019), and renamed it. The name comes from the Greek term "Yiayia" meaning grandmother. The original Yiayia was his mother Pauline, who died in 1992. Gus' wife, Stella Kalaris, became the next Yiayia. After Stella died on October 26, 2016, the "Gus and Yiayia's scholarship" was founded in her name to benefit local kids they served. In June 2024, Gus Kalaris died at the age of 92, months after the stand celebrated its 90th anniversary. Kalaris still owned Gus and YiaYia's at the time of his death.

In popular culture

This restaurant was featured in

Rick Sebak Richard Sebak (born June 5, 1953) is an American public broadcasting television producer, writer and narrator who lives and works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. Early life and education Richard Sebak was born on June 5, 195 ...

's ''North Side Story'' (1997) documentary on

WQED (TV) WQED (channel 13) is a PBS member television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Owned by WQED Multimedia, it is sister to public radio station WQED-FM (89.3). The two outlets share studios on Fifth Avenue near the Carnegie ...

. In 2012, the

Pittsburgh City Council The Pittsburgh City Council serves as the legislative body in the City of Pittsburgh. It consists of nine members. City council members are chosen by plurality elections in each of nine districts. The city operates under a mayor-council sys ...

proclaimed April 25 "Gus and Yiayia Day."

Pittsburgh Magazine Pittsburgh Magazine is a lifestyle magazine covering the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. It hosts an annual "40 Under 40" featuring prominent young Pittsburghers. It's known for listicles including Pittsburgh's 25 Best Restaurants, Best of the 'Bur ...

also named Gus as one of Pittsburgh's best personalities. In 2021, a miniature version of the cart was added to the Carnegie Science Center's Miniature Railroad and Village.

Notes

:1.''Yiayia'' is the correct spelling as seen on the food cart. Variations appear across media.

References

{{Reflist 1934 establishments in Pennsylvania Food trucks in the United States Restaurants in Pittsburgh Restaurants established in 1934

History

Menu

In popular culture

Notes

References