‘Middle Eastern Chipotle’ arrives in Frandor

In 2017, Detroit businessmen Jack Mashini and Brian Shunia made their foray into the restaurant industry with the founding of their chicken wing franchise, Wing Snob, in Livonia. Since then, the franchise has expanded to 49 locations across the United States and Canada, including 28 in Michigan, and 19 more are under construction.

Last year, the duo joined forces with Mario Sattam, owner of a small chain of fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurants called Rock City Eats, to help him grow his business and open more locations.

“We decided to rebrand as Middle Eats,” Mashini said. “We specialize in healthier versions of the typical Middle Eastern fare.”

The group opened three Middle Eats locations in 2023: Two at the site of former Rock City Eats in Warren and Detroit and another in Bloomfield Hills. On Tuesday (Sept. 3), the fourth will open in a 1,900-square-foot space in Frandor that last housed Lefty’s Cheesesteaks. It will be the first location with a drive-thru.

“I really think we’re going to kill it with the drive-thru model. Since this spot happened to already have one, we thought it was a good opportunity to mesh that into our operation,” Mashini said, adding that they expect to be able to get orders out in three minutes.

The menu includes a variety of bowls, wraps and salads, each with a list of ingredients that diners can customize based on what they want and don’t want. The eatery also offers smaller plates, like loaded shawarma fries, hummus with pita wedges and desserts.

“We’re appealing to the people who want something fast, fresh, healthy and halal at the same time, and I think that’s a winning combination for us,” Mashini said. “It’s Middle Eastern food, but I like to call it Mediterranean-inspired because it’s a little less potent of a flavor profile. We’ve calmed the flavors down from a traditional Middle Eastern restaurant to appeal to the masses. And I think we nailed it.”

He said people have compared the concept to “a Middle Eastern Chipotle.”

“We’re flattered because Chipotle is obviously a monster. But it is a little bit different. For example, there’s no assembly line. We did that for the sake of speed,” he said.

The new space can seat 45, including 12 patio seats. Mashini is working on hiring 20 to 30 employees, though some of them could switch between the new store and the Wing Snob location at 3415 E. Saginaw St.

“We like to follow the Wings Snobs because we can share the teams, and the logistics just make sense. We also know we have a very strong market here being in such close proximity to Michigan State University,” he said.

Mashini said the group plans to open a fifth Middle Eats in Lathrup Village by the end of the year. Starting next year, they’ll look to open more in the Detroit area and possibly a second Lansing location on the city’s west side.