Aladdin’s Eatery

Aladdin’s Eatery is a fast-casual Mediterranean concept serving Lebanese-inspired dishes in a relaxed neighborhood café setting. Guests find hummus, falafel, shawarma, salads, wraps, and fresh juices prepared to order, along with a wide range of vegetarian, vegan, and lighter options. Service is primarily dine-in and carryout with limited table service, and takeout is a meaningful part of the business, placing the brand between traditional full-service Middle Eastern restaurants and mainstream fast-casual chains.

The company was founded in 1994, when Fady Chamoun opened the first Aladdin’s Eatery in the Cleveland, Ohio area to make Lebanese flavors accessible to a broader audience. From that single restaurant, the concept built a following across Northeast Ohio before moving into neighboring states. A notable milestone came as Aladdin’s grew from a local Cleveland favorite into a regional chain through a mix of corporate and franchised units, establishing name recognition across Ohio and nearby markets while remaining independently owned.

As of January 2024, Aladdin’s Eatery operates approximately 30 locations, with its heaviest concentration in the Cleveland and greater Ohio markets and additional restaurants in states such as Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia. Over the last five years, the brand has continued to refine its fast-casual café model, invest in off-premise and takeout business, and extend its reach beyond Ohio into select Midwest and Mid-Atlantic markets where Mediterranean fast-casual dining has gained traction. Growth has been steady rather than aggressive, with an emphasis on infill in existing trade areas and carefully chosen new markets that align with its menu and customer base.

In the current real estate cycle, Aladdin’s Eatery tends to locate in inline or endcap spaces within suburban retail centers, mixed-use projects, college-adjacent corridors, and walkable neighborhood streets. These restaurants typically operate without a drive-thru and are designed to serve both sit-down and carryout guests, supporting lunch and dinner traffic and some daytime café use. The brand often looks to adapt second-generation restaurant or retail spaces that can be reworked to its front-of-house and kitchen layout, which reduces build-out time and fits well in grocery-anchored centers, community centers, and activated mixed-use environments.

Recent openings and job postings indicate that Aladdin’s Eatery is still adding new units in and around its core Ohio markets while exploring nearby metropolitan areas where Mediterranean fast-casual concepts match local lifestyle and dining trends. Priority growth markets include Northeast Ohio, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and the Raleigh-Durham area. For landlords, brokers, and developers, Aladdin’s represents a regionally established, independently owned restaurant group with a recognizable brand in its core territories, a proven café-style format suited to neighborhood and suburban centers, and a measured expansion posture that favors stable trade areas and well-located infill opportunities.