Happy Gillis Cafe & Hangout

• Cuisine(s): Salads, Sandwiches, Soups
  Hours: Sun 9am-2pm, Tue-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-4pm
  Price: $$ $, $$
  Payment Types: MasterCard, Visa, cash
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Delivery, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly, Vegetarian Friendly
  Serving: Breakfast, Lunch
  Alcohol: Beer/Wine
• Reservations: Not Accepted
  Parking: Street

Description

A couple of years after starting a company that made and delivered soups, Todd Schulte decided to expand his horizons. With his wife, Tracy Zinn, Schulte took over the iconic Gillis Sundries location at the corner of Gillis and Pacific in historic Columbus Park. In the 1950s and '60s, "Chee Bay" Guastello's Gillis Sundries was the neighborhood hangout (he sold hot dogs, malts, penny candy and package liquor); the new owners have created a hangout with more imaginative sandwiches, excellent soups and modest but comforting breakfasts. Reflecting the cultural diversity of the neighborhood, Schulte serves Vietnamese banh mi on crusty baguette, curried chicken salad, grilled Cuban sandwiches, a classic egg salad, and meatloaf on Farm to Market bread. There's no penny candy or chocolate ice cream sodas, but the freshly baked apple cake and brownies more than make up for that.