Owner of Ellwood Steak & Fish House bidding farewell to DeKalb patrons, hoping to leave restaurant in good hands

DeKALB – The owner of Ellwood Steak & Fish House in DeKalb is looking to bid farewell to patrons next month, when the new ownership is expected to take over the restaurant.

Owner Bill Hristakos said it’s time for him to retire after having worked 46 years in the restaurant industry.

“I came to the point, I’m 70 years old, I need to retire, have younger people take over and do the same good job and maybe better,” Hristakos said.

The new ownership, 4 Guys Kitchen LLC, is expected to begin taking over the restaurant’s operations on Sept. 7. The restaurant is located at 2219 Sycamore Road.

At its recent meeting, the DeKalb City Council issued a conditional restaurant/bar liquor license to the soon-to-be new owners of the establishment that hinged on them applying for and obtaining a state liquor license.

Ellwood Steak & Fish House has been part of the DeKalb community for seven years.

Hristakos said the restaurant takes pride in its signature menu offerings as they help separate the establish from similar businesses.

“We serve quality steaks,” he said. “They’re aged about 35 days. We sell fresh fish every day. We have fresh fish coming Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, never frozen and always fresh.”

Hristakos also touted the customer service that is provided by staff at Ellwood Steak & Fish House for providing a good experience for patrons.

Hristakos said he doesn’t anticipate the new ownership making changes to the restaurant and how it’s ran.

“They’re not going to change anything about it,” Hristakos said. “It’s going to stay exactly the same.”

Hristakos said it’s important to him that he leaves the restaurant in good hands upon entering retirement. He said he believes he’s found the right owners to make that possible.

“They’re good people coming in and much younger than I am,” he said.

Hristakos said he thinks the new owners will have what it takes to do about as good of work as he has done.

“I’m sure they’re going to do better, too, because they have more energy than I do,” he said.

Hristakos said he plans to relax and enjoy life upon entering retirement.