MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Naf Naf Grill is following up an impressive 2015 with an even better 2016. The Middle Eastern fast casual is more than doubling in size after storming onto the Minneapolis dining scene with three locations in Eden Prairie, Maple Grove and the U.S. Bank Plaza in 2015.
Earlier this year Naf Naf Grill opened its fourth and fifth Minneapolis-area locations in Stadium Village and Woodbury, respectively. Both opened to lines out the door of customers hungry for shawarma, falafel and hummus. Next on deck for the growing Twin Cities favorite is its second Skyway restaurant in the City Center situated at 40 S 7th Street. City Center employees will be able to enjoy Naf Naf Grill when it opens with a Free Pita Day on Thursday, October 6.
Another milestone location for the brand is at the Mall of America in the Culinary on North food court expected to open in late October. “Mall of America is a premier destination for millions of tourists each year hungry for new experiences they can’t get at home. With their first bite of shawarma, mallgoers will be hooked and demanding Naf Naf Grill in their neighborhoods across the country,” said Sahar Sander, co-CEO of Naf Naf Grill.
Founded in 2009, Naf Naf Grill has grown to be the go-to destination for fresh, authentic Middle Eastern food. What started in a former run-down Taco Bell in Naperville, Illinois has since seen a rapid expansion with locations opening in downtown Chicago, Madison, Wisc., Philadelphia and more restaurants on the way in Detroit, New Jersey and Milwaukee. Due to this fast-paced growth, it was named one of Nation’s Restaurant News’ “Hot Concept” award winners in 2016.
Finding something everyone likes at Naf Naf Grill is simple – start with a pita or bowl of basmati rice, romaine lettuce, couscous or hummus and then add in chicken shawarma, steak shawarma or falafel. The customer then gets the option of adding in chopped or purple cabbage salad, sumac onions and pickles before finishing off the dish with garlic, amba, tahini, harissa or s’khug sauces. The customer can complete their meal with Naf fries, lentil soup or basmati rice as a side dish.
“It’s clear to us the people in Minneapolis are looking for alternatives to fast food subs, burgers and burritos and Naf Naf Grill is becoming the immediate go-to for a unique lunch and dinner experience,” said co-CEO David Sloan. “With each new opening we get to introduce new guests to our mouthwatering Middle Eastern food, and that’s what’s at the core of our rapid expansion in the Twin Cities.”
About Naf Naf Grill
Naf Naf Grill was founded in 2009 by Sahar Sander, David Sloan, Elan Burger and Justin Halpenny and is the premium destination for fresh, authentic Middle Eastern food. Oven baked pitas, hand cut salads and freshly prepared sauces all serve as an accompaniment to award-winning shawarma and falafel. Naf Naf Grill is a fast casual format with 21 units open and dozens more under development in New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Naf Naf Grill has received industry acclaim, being named a 2016 Hot Concept by Nation’s Restaurant News and One to Watch by QSR Magazine. It has also received acclaim in its home market of Chicago with the Chicago Tribune naming its chicken shawarma one of the Top-10 dishes of 2013. From the most humble of beginnings to a high-growth restaurant company in a few years, the company is guided by an idea they now fondly call “The Naf Love.” For more information, please visit http://www.nafnafgrill.com.
