From Van to Gyros: The Repede Family Builds a New Life in Mallorca

From Van to Gyros: The Repede Family Builds a New Life in Mallorca

On the Boulevard de Peguera, a late morning smells of freshly sliced meat, fried onions and sea air. Constantin Repede stands behind the counter of his small eatery Don Gyros and slices the meat paper-thin from the rotisserie. For €8.50 a flatbread filled with tzatziki, tomato and onions is handed over the counter. Plates clink around, tourists laugh, and the palms in the harbor sway in the wind.

The business is part of a second location at the edge of the Ballermann, directly at Balneario 13. There Constantin and his wife Exenia run an Italian-oriented spot with sea views — pasta, pinsa, homemade ice cream and even syrup beer are on the menu. A penne Ortolana costs €14.90. It is the mix of Greek flavours and an Italian touch that brings the two together at different points on the island.

The family's story reads a bit like a small coincidence with long consequences: they moved from the Stuttgart area about two years ago, a move echoed in Emigrants on the Island: Two Couples Start Anew. They sold house and farm, found a small bar on a property platform and signed at the notary. In March 2024 the move to Mallorca was completed. Today the three children work with them: Delisha, 21, helps out, Jannai, 19, keeps the pace behind the grill on many days, and little Keyan, 3, runs between chairs and buckets.

The Repedes represent the typical island mix: Constantin brings Romanian roots and Greek heritage, Exenia is Italian. For the gyros he pays attention to the supply chain: his meat comes from suppliers in Greece, is processed in Germany and thus ends up on the spit in Peguera. Such details, he says, matter to the taste — and to the guests.

The start here was not entirely smooth: due to delays in the electricity registration it took weeks longer before the heavy-duty connection for the business was approved. Only at the end of May could the snack bar open. Still, bustle knows no season end. Don Gyros goes into winter pause on October 31 until mid-March, but the waterfront operation at the Balneario continues — even in autumn guests sit with a view of the sea, a theme echoed by New Start in El Arenal: The Haudes, Their Boat "The Phoenix" and Life on Deck.

What you see in the morning on the street is a small work ballet: suppliers with crates, Constantin taking delivery of fries and onions, guests searching for a spot in the sun. Then the scent of tzatziki, herbs and freshly fried meat. For many visitors that is the appeal: simple, honest food, family service and proximity to the coast.

For Mallorca this is an addition rather than a revolution: places like this enliven promenades and join new openings such as Kruemel opens "Schatzi": Peguera gets a club-restaurant, create jobs and bring culinary variety. The Repedes also plan to be present with a stall at a Palma Christmas market from the end of November — an opportunity to introduce their gyros in the city.

The balance after almost two years: the family has settled in, overcome initial hurdles and established two different concepts. Those who sit here hear not only the cash registers ring but also the sea that belongs to the work. For the Repedes that is the real harvest of their courage — a new everyday life in a place where you still hear the seagulls call early in the morning and the light over the sea fades in the evening.

Outlook: Anyone who is curious should come back in spring: the snack bar will resume operations from mid-March, and the family plans to continue refining recipes and service. Thus a spontaneous property purchase grows into a permanent address on the island.