A fixture in the campus area for 23 years, the Souvlaki Palace II, used exemplary service to keep customers returning. But on Friday, its doors will close for the last time as big business is on the verge of infiltrating, demolishing and refurbishing the premises.The North High Street building, which houses Lee Ross Cleaners, Catch of the Day Clothing Co. and the Palace, is scheduled for the wrecking ball sometime in mid-June to make way for Steak ‘n Shake, a 24-hour burger joint.George Psyhogios, 66, owner of the Souvlaki Palace II, said he went to renew his month-to-month lease, but instead received his 30-day notice to pick up shop and vacate the premises.The building in which he has been a mainstay tenant changed ownership in March 1998 from Huntington Trust to Lee Ross and Oxford Realty. Psyhogios said he never knew the building was for sale and that he had repeatedly told Huntington if the lot ever went up for sale he would take the first bid.”When I first opened they [students] did not even know what a gyro was. I’ve always tried to help the university kids by giving what I could,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been here for 23 years unless I had done something right.”Rhoda Ross, wife of dry cleaning owner Lee Ross, said their relocation from 1952 N. High St. to 1918 N. High St. was an attempt to downsize and save money on fixed costs, particularly rent.Business has steadily decreased in recent years and there has been a general lack of interest in the service they provide, she said. The cleaner has been on campus since 1959. “People used to come in for sewing,” Rhoda Ross said. “Now students just wear them [pants] sloppy and hanging to the cement.”Randy Ross, son of Lee Ross, managed and operated the campus plant from January 1996 to January 1999. The 1952 N. High St. location was no longer efficient, which caused them to move the store to the 1918 N. High St. site and the processing and dry cleaning facilities to their Kenny Road plant.He had hoped the move in March 1998 would rejuvenate business and reduce costs, but the same result occurred as business continued declining. In January, Randy Ross turned the helm back over to his parents because the store was no longer profitable and he was tired of operating it at a loss, he said.”Volume was down and we could not make the bills,” Randy Ross said. “We had planned on being there forever. The only thing that seems to survive is Chinese restaurants.”She even went as far to have Ohio State marketing professor Terry Paul’s class survey the mom and pop shops on High Street after attempts at distributing coupons and advertising failed to increase customer traffic.She said the results revealed that many family and small-business owners are hurting and barely scraping by. She fears this may be the beginning of a trend in which local owners will eventually lose out to mega-chain restaurants and retailers.”On $72 a day, you just can’t make it,” Rhoda Ross said. “To me it’s heartbreaking to see a business go from very good to mediocre.”Meanwhile, Psyhogios chooses to focus on the good rather than the bad. He continues to reminisce about how many people he has helped and served with a smile for the past two decades.Legendary football coach Woody Hayes used to frequent his eatery with players, he said.”He would throw a 20 on the counter and say, ‘Give the boys what they want to eat,'” Psyhogios said. “Even if he was over, I just let it go.”Lee Ross Cleaners has no plans to relocate in the campus area and Psyhogios said his chance of finding a place on campus is slim. Catch of the Day Clothing Co. has plans to move four doors north to 1946 N. High St. next to the former Lee Ross Cleaners, which is being remodeled to house a Subway/TCBY/Flamingo Arcade.In April the offer came through to allow Steak ‘n Shake to demolish the current building and construct its burger/milkshake palace.”It was too good of an offer,” Randy Ross said. “We did not want to do it, but we did not have a choice. It was the best move for our family.” The offer never made it to Psyhogios’ table. He remains baffled as to why he was not offered first sale of the building, since he has been in business at that location for so long and is not ready to retire.”That’s the $64,000 question,” he said. “I like to mix with people. If money was everything, I would have retired a long time ago.”