Gus Hosseini immigrated to the United States from Iran in 1977 and served in the U.S. Navy for seven years. In 1984, he opened The Unicorn, a punk/alternative club and music venue in the basement of the Sydney Hih building. From 1984 to 1997, many now-famous musicians played at The Unicorn, including Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins. During this time, his restaurant career started as he opened Gus’ Mexican Cantina in 1990. Since then, restaurants on Old World Third, Van Buren and in Franklin would follow.

After a semi-retirement in North Carolina, Gus returned to Milwaukee and opened Gus’ Deli in 2018. This large, eclectic space is located in far corner of the Renaissance Place business park. The diverse menu spans America, the Near East and Mexico, and offers a wide variety of made-to-order meals, sandwiches, salads and daily baked goods.