In late October, heartbreak defined the drive to Siesta Key Village from the North Bridge. Couches, mattresses, cabinets, appliances, irreplaceable items made unidentifiable by water and wind damage—every waterlogged pile along Higel Avenue a life uprooted. In August, Hurricane Debby’s flooding rains. In September, Hurricane Helene’s 4-foot storm surge. In October, Hurricane Milton’s 100+ mph winds. For Maja Rakowiecka and Jakob Skoczylas, it was a less than ideal time for the married pair to open their fast-casual restaurant—The Duo Döner & Deli—on Ocean Boulevard, which they did this past August just before Debby. “A lot of locals we talked to kept telling us not to worry,” says chef Skoczylas, “that Sarasota never gets hit that bad.” But after working for months on the gleaming buildout, Skoczylas and Rakowiecka weren’t taking any chances. They sealed up their doors with plastic, heavy duty tape and sand bags. Over their windows, they reinforced three-quarter inch plywood with two-by-fours.

THE DUO’S PROPRIETARY TURKISH PIDE BREAD.
After Helene, they were able to clean up with just a mop. They reopened days after Milton. For a community on the mend, The Duo’s resiliency was a lifeline alongside more tenured eateries in The Village, offering residents and recovery teams refuge in the comforting calories of a hot meal.

THIS SPREAD LEFT TO RIGHT: PERFECTLY SEASONED CHICKEN SPINS SLOWLY ON A VERTICAL ROTISSERIE FOR A NICE, EVEN SEAR.
And those hot meals aren’t coming from an ordinary fast-casual takeout joint. That’s because Skoczylas is no ordinary chef. He trained with the Michelin-star-studded Swedish chef, Ebbe Vollmer, and has rubbed shoulders with culinary titans. You can see that influence in the surgically spotless kitchen, the utter lack of dust or marring on counter tops and work surfaces—all of it in spite of the breakneck speed with which Skoczylas assembles the Turkish-inspired street food The Duo has quickly made a name with. The döner half of the operation refers to the vertical rotisserie used in Turkish cuisine to make slow-roasted meats. Popular all over Europe as a street food, Skoczylas saw an opportunity to bring some of his favorite food to the Key.
On one döner, he spins a roughly three-to-one vertical stack of beef and lamb. On the other, chicken. They’re both exquisitely seasoned with his signature blend of herbs and spices inspired by the Turkish recipes he gleaned from friends while living in the UK.
The mediums for the meat include wraps with lavash or pita warmed on a griddle top, sandwiches made with Turkish pide or plates you can pick at with a fork or pieces of pita. The lavash—baked especially for The Duo by a middle eastern bakery in Tampa—is wonderfully thin yet still strong enough to contain the abundant fillings. But the Turkish pide used in the sandwiches is a delight. Skoczylas crafted the recipe himself, combining elements of traditional Turkish pide with brioche. Made especially for The Duo by a local bakery, the bread is unfathomably soft despite measuring in at about an inch and a half thick before being pressed. The sturdy outer crust serves as a suitable container for the overstuffed interior, where Skoczylas packs the meat, veggies and sauces.
The veggies and sauce accompaniments also speak volumes about Skoczylas’s training. There’s a clear eye for freshness and quality in everything from the cucumbers and cabbage to fermented pickles and jalapeños. And every döner plate comes overflowing with veggies.That’s why eating any of the döner offerings requires a diner’s full attention. Biting into a sandwich or wrap at The Duo demands a limber jaw, or one that can be dislocated entirely. It also demands lots of napkins to clean up any of the delightful housemade sauces, which include a savory garlic, spicy chili, nutty tahini and bright mint yogurt. Similarly, the menu’s lone burger presents like a cartoonish eating challenge. It’s a smashburger in name, but the smashing only serves to make room for a second patty, all the fixings and The Duo’s signature truffle sauce. Like the döner kebab plates, the burger’s no-nonsense size belies the artistry of its ingredients. It’s in the fully salted butter brioche, the caramelized onions and the truffle sauce.
A Polish kielbasa hot dog is a recognizable nod to the owners’ home country, but the zap zap brings something truly unique from their native cuisine. It’s a Polish version of pizza, featuring half of a sliced baguette topped with melted mozzarella, mushrooms and ketchup. Ham, salami or one of the döner meats can also be added.The deli side of the operation offers the usual suspects—sandwiches, baguettes and paninis. There’s also a dessert and coffee menu, including a dedicated waffle section as well as a decidedly appropriate slushy selection for the days when beachgoers battle against the summer heat.
It’s said that food unites. The same is said of disaster. If both are true, then The Duo Döner & Deli opened at just the right time.
DUO Döner & Deli, 5049 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key, 941-298-9660, @theduo_donerdeli