There are few opportunities in our day to see the true character of individuals. In a world pitting catchy marketing against integrity every day, it becomes hard to know for whom one should rally. As the owner and operator of Smiles & Gyros, I was recently “invited” to a hearing at the Ames City Hall. The purpose of this hearing was to discuss complaints lodged by Ahmed Merchant, the owner of Jimmy John’s, against the gyro stand. During this meeting, Izela Gauna, the manager of the Campustown Jimmy John’s, claimed we were responsible for trash in front of her store. I responded that every night we are open, we pick up all our trash in front of her store, and on Thursday through Saturday nights, we walk up and down four blocks doing the same.

Ahmed quickly responded, “How much are you out there?” I replied, “Two to three days a week”. Ahmed sat back, stunned. He was surprised that I, the owner of Smiles & Gyros, work at the stand. This guy asked the city to revoke my license or move me from our location of 16 years for not having bathrooms, while Jimmy John’s closes their own at 10 p.m. He is threatening my livelihood, and he doesn’t know I work at the stand. Then it hits me: Ahmed hasn’t the slightest idea of why we are successful. He thinks it is all about that corner, but our differences are more fundamental. Some spend a quarter of a million dollars building a restaurant one block closer to the bars; I work at the gyro stand. Some spend hundreds of dollars a month on marketing; I get to know and love our customers. Ahmed Merchant assumed that location was the main difference between Jimmy John’s and Smiles & Gyros. The difference upon which I have been counting since I was 20 years old is much simpler: Smiles & Gyros will never be just a business in Campustown — we will be a part of it. We will look all our customers in the eye when we talk to them. We will respect them as we wish to be respected. We will demand they respect one another. We will work as hard as we can. We will apologize if we make mistakes, and go to great lengths to correct them. We will treat all people equitably. We will demand kindness over violence. We will demand fun over lethargy. We will welcome new members to the community. We will support the old ones. We will be hot, cold, soaked and dry with our customers on the street of our community. We will work fast to entertain. We will encourage idealism over cynicism. And most of all, without question, we will bust ass.

These are the tools by which the gyro slingers have secured a place in the hearts of the Campustown community. It is not our location that has brought us success, but how we handle ourselves. Had Ahmed Merchant spent just one whole night out in Campustown, or if he had gone through our line, he might have seen that the tradition all the members of the gyro stand community have created is based less on traffic patterns and more on the kind of community we want to create.

Witness the Campustown community. Witness Brooke Brewington of Kum & Go, whose kindness is the only reason Smiles & Gyros is currently operating. Witness Steve Schainker, Diane Voss and Kevin Anderson, the city officials who have the well-being of the entire community, not just an irascible few, in mind. Witness a decade of dedicated stand employees who could have always done less, but chose to do more. All have been and continue to be instrumental in our success and I thank them. But there is one group more instrumental than any other. From the alumni who return for Veishea with baby strollers, to the first-year students venturing up to the cart for the very first time, to those who can’t stand gyros but believe in what we are doing: It is you who have made the gyro stand amazing. It is your energy, your respect and your kind words in the past weeks that have nourished Smiles & Gyros. It is your commitment to us that affords us the opportunity to work for you.

I have been a gyro slinger for 12 years, and everyday I find more reasons to love it, but by far the greatest rewards are the smiles on your faces. Without the long lines, the insanely specific orders and the sheer energy and spirit you all bring to our corner, we would just be selling sandwiches. I thank you all for recognizing something good in us, our success only reflects a goodness in you. You guys are a blast. I named this stand Smiles & Gyros. It has been and will continue to be exactly that. See you all in the street.

Matthew Goodman is the the owner of Smiles & Gyros, which operates on Welch Avenue.