Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant opens in KC, hopes to offer something different
There’s plenty of Middle Eastern restaurants in Kansas City, sure. But Lebanese restaurants? That’s a different story.
Married couple Diana Ammar and Saleem Fahda couldn’t find anything in the metro that reminded them of home. So the two Beirut natives began to imagine what it would look like to open their own — for themselves, as well as their American and Lebanese friends.
“We wanted to bring that to the community,” Ammar said.
On Thursday, their dreams came to fruition with AlBeik, a fast-casual Lebanese restaurant at 13135 State Line Road.
It’s their first restaurant concept (Ammar is an engineer and Fahda manages gas stations), but Fahda’s father had a restaurant inside a university in Lebanon. Ammar’s mom and aunt are also chefs, so she grew up cooking their family recipes.
A steady stream of customers flowed through the restaurant on opening day, ordering shawarma, hummus, gyros, fattoush, taboule and other items at the register.
Some ate inside the restaurant on silver trays. Many more took their food to go in paper bags with the AlBeik logo, carrying plastic cups with soft drinks.
The name “AlBeik” is an old Arabic title given to nobles, Ammar said.
“We wanted to give that name to the store first because it’s something that goes back into our heritage,” she said. “We wanted to give the customers something sophisticated and something for our roots.”
Ammar and Fahda are trying this spot first, but if all goes well they hope to open more locations. One thing at a time, though.
What makes Lebanese food different? Ammar said Mediterranean countries have many of the same dishes (hummus, falafel, etc.), but spices and cooking methods vary from country to country.
AlBeik has a charbroil grill to make kebabs. As far as she knows, Ammar said hers is the only Mediterranean restaurant in the city with one.
The couple’s Lebanese friends are especially excited for the restaurant. They had been getting texts and messages for weeks leading up to the opening.
“Like every day, ‘When are you guys going to open?’” Ammar said, laughing.
AlBeik is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 1 to 9 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.
