Even though its billboard sign is not yet up, Golden Gyros, which took over the location of Niro’s Gyros, is now open for business.

Asma Touhami and Borhen Benkhemis, a couple who emigrated from Tunisia 13 years ago, took over the restaurant in December 2007.

Niro’s Gyros closed about a month before Touhami and Behkhemis took over ownership due to an illness in the owners’ family.

Touhami said they waited until Jan. 11 to open the restaurant in order to remodel some of the inside and bring in specialty equipment.

Before moving to Charleston, Touhami and Benkhemis had been in the fast food industry for more than 10 years. Most recently the pair owned a similar restaurant in Champaign, where they served India and Middle Eastern styles of food.

This was one of the reasons they chose the former Niro’s Gyros building to set up shop.

She said the building already had much of the equipment necessary for them to run their business.

Another reason they chose Charleston over any of the other locations in Illinois was Eastern.

Touhami said the business created by college students attracted them to Charleston, especially since they had experience serving University of Illinois students while working in Champaign.

“It’s nice to be around campus,” she said. “When you find students in a town, it makes things more busy.”

Touhami said the restaurant has not seen much business yet, but she said that is mainly due to the cold weather and lack of advertising they have presented to the community.

She expects this to change once their sign is put up and advertisements are presented to the community through local media outlets.

Touhami is not the only person involved with the restaurant that believes it will succeed.

Janet McCulloch, owner of the building, said she believes Benkhemis and Touhami may be more successful at providing the Charleston area with foreign delicacies like gyros due to their experience with these kinds of cuisines.

“(Benkhemis) knows the business,” she said.

McCulloch said Benkhemis’ knowledge of Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine was obvious by the kind of kitchen equipment he brought in when he first took over ownership of the restaurant.

She said he ordered equipment that keeps the meat of the gyro from drying out along with several other pieces designed to provide more authentic cuisine.

McCulloch said the opening of Golden Gyros, along with recent openings of Walgreens, Villa Pizza and Papa Murphy’s in Charleston are signs the city is expanding.

“It’s really exciting to see Charleston beginning to grow again,” she said.

The building has been in McCulloch’s family for several generations and has house several different restaurant chains, which include Wendy’s, Niro’s Gyros and, now, Golden Gyros.

Golden Gyros is located at 300 West Lincoln Ave.

Jordan Crook may be reached at 581-7945 or at jscrook@eiu.edu.