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From Mezze to Market: The Growth of Eastern Mediterranean Concepts

Flo Graham-Dixon

 

Cava billboard, USA
Cava billboard, USA

In a world often divided by geopolitical strife, the rise of Eastern Mediterranean cuisines in the casual dining sector offers a small yet significant reminder of the cultural richness and shared humanity that food can represent.


When I talk about Eastern Mediterranean cuisines, I specifically mean the culinary traditions from countries in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, e.g. Greece, Turkey, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, among others. These cuisines, though diverse, share some similarities – characterized by fresh vegetables, grains, pulses, herbs and spices such as sumac, za'atar, and cumin. They offer a rich tapestry of flavours that reflect the cultural and historical exchanges within this region and beyond, where food has evolved alongside complex socio-political histories.


In the UK, Eastern Mediterranean chains have experienced strong growth, albeit from a small base. The Real Greek and Megan’s are leading the charge, whilst a cohort of smaller brands are gradually increasing their numbers. Brother Marcus and Gokyuzu for example have both opened new sites in the past few years, and whilst Le Bab closed a couple of its smaller formats, it has doubled in size since 5 years ago, growing from three to six sites alongside a fine-dining speak-easy, and three franchise sites in Romania. Comptoir Group meanwhile, having closed several post-pandemic, has now returned to growth, opening new sites in London’s Southbank and Ealing. Alongside its UK efforts, they launched a new franchise brand, Shawa, in Abu Dhabi.


Eastern Mediterranean Restaurant Chain Portfolios 2019 To 2024
Eastern Mediterranean Restaurant Chain Portfolios - UK

Whilst these are all very small numbers, they collectively make up 28% outlet growth over the last five years which is particularly impressive considering the overall contraction in casual dining chains, which saw a 10% drop over the same period. This overall contraction was marked by large legacy chains downsizing, particularly “Britalian” concepts, as consumers moved towards a broader range of international cuisines alongside more authentic and specialist Italians. Despite the strong tradition of independent, family-run Eastern Mediterranean concepts—particularly Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese—there is still ample space for chain expansion as consumer’s seek familiar brands that offer authentic flavours and dishes.


It’s not just Eastern Mediterranean chains that are growing, so too is the popularity of recipes from the region for home cooks. Chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi have demystified Eastern Mediterranean ingredients, transforming them from niche products to pantry staples. Items like harissa, za’atar, sumac, flatbreads and a plethora of dips are now stocked on most supermarket shelves. Grocers such as Sainsburys and Waitrose have entire teams dedicated to trends and innovation to ensure they are the go-to place to stock the next trending ingredient. Waitrose “Cooks Ingredients” range for example features black garlic, dukkah, zhoug etc, whilst the “Levantine Table” includes slow-cooked meats, flatbreads, and falafels. We see this on British menus everywhere now too – Wetherspoons sells Shawarma wraps and quinoa salads, whilst Lounge’s serves delicious-sounding Honey Whipped Feta with Aleppo chilli, flatbreads and mezze falafel salads.



Eastern Mediterranean Menu Ingredients
Eastern Mediterranean Menu Ingredients


The reasons behind the growing uptake of Eastern Mediterranean cuisines are easy to understand – full of flavour, rich in herbs, nuts and spices, its dishes are both exotic and comfortingly familiar to the UK palate – using spices like cinnamon and cloves, which have ties to UK cuisine through historical spice routes. From a demand perspective - Eastern Mediterranean aligns well with broader health and sustainability trends given the range of plant-based and vegetable-forward options. Many of the region’s cuisines can also capitalise on the growing propensity to dine out for breakfast & brunch, with a wealth of egg dishes from Turkish eggs to shakshuka. Lastly, the region is home to sharing plate / mezze traditions, with hospitality and feasting deeply embedded in its many cultures, which makes it automatically celebratory, generous and suited to social occasions.



GOOGLE TRENDS: SEARCH INDEX FOR DISH / INGREDIENT, UK
Trending Eastern Mediterranean Ingredients

These advantages are not exclusive to the UK. Other Western markets such as the US are a showing strong growth for Eastern Mediterranean concepts. The most prominent success story is Cava. Founded by Greek immigrants in 2006, it transitioned from a full-service restaurant in a Washington suburb into a fast-casual Mediterranean format. The brand now has over 350 locations across the US, having accelerated their growth through acquiring Zoe’s kitchen and converting 153 of their units into Cavas. This success story culminated in an IPO that saw stock price nearly double, with a company valuation of $5 billion.


Comptoir Libanais Group’s Shawa Franchise
Comptoir Libanais Group’s Shawa Franchise

The GCC / Middle-East, while seemingly a natural expansion target for Eastern Mediterranean brands, presents unique challenges. The market is saturated with both local and international Arab-world concepts, making it difficult for new entrants from the Middle Eastern side of the Mediterranean to establish a foothold. Additionally, consumer expectations in these regions are shaped by a deep familiarity with many of the ingredients and techniques, demanding a level of authenticity and quality that can be difficult to consistently deliver across borders. Comptoir Libanais has locations in Doha and Dubai airports, and Abu Dhabi with its QSR franchise brand Shawa (under HMS host), but is yet to venture outside of these terminals. Baker & Spice offers pan-Mediterranean cuisine and has opened several GCC sites over the years, as well as some closures, and Berenjak has opened in Doha and Dubai (more premium than casual dining though). Meanwhile there is strong competition from both homegrown brands and those directly exporting from their cuisine-country of origin e.g. Zaatar w Zeit, Eat Greek and Em Sherif.

In conclusion, macro trends in consumer behaviour are creating fertile ground for continued expansion of Eastern Mediterranean brands in the UK and beyond. This makes the sector an interesting investment proposition. With a rich tradition of street food that utilizes inexpensive yet delicious ingredients, many of these concepts offer attractive gross margins. With strong profits, untapped demand, and delivery potential, the segment is well-positioned to withstand potential future economic downturns and pandemics. This backdrop also presents opportunities for startups and independent operators to innovate and bring under-represented parts of the region to an increasingly receptive audience. Recent examples include Common Breads in Victoria, bringing the most popular breads of Lebanon – ka’ak, manoushe etc. – to Londoners in a grab and go format, Akub – a client of ours, serving chef-led Palestinian food in Notting Hill and Leydi (all day Turkish) opening in Farringdon soon. The continued rise of Eastern Mediterranean cuisines in Western markets signals a broader trend towards culinary diversification, promising continued growth and a vibrant future for the segment.


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