One of the last remaining legendary icons for Birmingham, Alabama has
died.Gus Koutroulakis passed away on Tuesday, April 5, 2011.He was pronounced dead at 8:50 AM.It was
reported that his family members and housekeeper said that he wasn’t feeling well.When the housekeeper arrived at his home Tuesday morning, she found him dead in his
chair.
Gus was 81 years old and sold hot dogs from his small
café in downtown Birmingham since 1948.He was a graduate of Phillips High School.After graduating he went to
work for his uncle, Pete Koutroulakis, who had finally decided to retire.Pete sold what has become
famous in Birmingham as Pete’s Famous Hot Dogs to his nephew.In over 72 years, the business
changed very little, nor did it’s iconic and beloved owner, Gus.
I can personally remember going to hang out for a while on Saturday afternoons at the
famous hot dog stand as a kid.That was only after spending hours at the local magic shop.I would then go rehearse my
magic at the hot dog stand and Gus would give me free hot dogs for entertaining his
customers.
Hearing about the passing of Gus was like losing a
family member in many ways.I had been visiting the hot dog stand all of my life, including seeing Gus just a few days
before he passed.He never failed to call you by name when you walked in and always knew exactly how you liked
your hot dogs.I guess I’m lucky to have been able to visit the hot dog stand for as many years as I
did.We all
like to hold on to some of those sentimental memories and Pete’s Famous Hot Dogs is definitely one of them for
me.
There was never a time that my daughter, Morgan, and
I had a few extra minutes that we didn’t love to go down to Pete’s and have a couple of hot
dogs.She
says, “They’re like no other dogs in the world,” and it was one of her favorite places,
also.
Gus always treated us like family when we came
in.I know
I’ll always remember Gus and Pete’s Famous for how he treated me as a kid and the memories he brought my
daughter and myself for the good times we had simply enjoying a hot dog and a soda.
