In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen interviews Lee Pantazis, the owner of Gus's Hot Dogs and culinary director at the Kelly and Redmont hotels in Birmingham. Lee discusses his passion for the restaurant industry, the importance of preserving the nostalgia and community impact of Gus's and his efforts to elevate the local food scene through his work at the hotels. Throughout the conversation, Lee emphasizes the significance of supporting local businesses, maintaining strong customer relationships and fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment in the service industry.

Mentioned in this episode:

Gus's Hot Dogs Website

Gus's Hot Dogs Instagram

Fish Market

Little Donkey

Pihakis Restaurant Group

Saigon Noodle House

Bud and Alley's Waterfront Restaurant

Pete's Famous Hot Dogs

Jim N Nicks

Big Bad Breakfast

Tasty Town

Magnolia Point

Satterfield's Restaurant

Hot-Dogopolis by Southern Foodways Alliance

Birmingham Greek Festival

Philoxenia documentary by Jessica Chriesman

Lou's Pub and Package Store

George Sarris

Johnny's

Demetri's

Niki's West

Ted's Birmingham

Thank You Books

Crestwood Pharmacy

Game Day Done Right

ServisFirst

Kingdom of Heaven

Adios

Salud

Hop City

Alabama Peanut Co.

Woodlawn Theater

Seasick Records

Mom's Basement

Kate Gerwin

Kelly Hotel

Redmont Hotel

St. James Hotel Selma

Triangle Offense Phil Jackson

Emperor's New Groove

Ohm Jiu Jitsu and branding company, A. Studio That Works

The Kelly Hotel Instagram

Redmont Hotel Instagram

Redmont Hotel Rooftop Instagram