Expanding out of Washington, chain with food ‘to die for’ will open Meridian restaurant

If chicken kabobs and gyro sandwiches make your mouth water, grab the nearest napkin.

Zullee Mediterranean Grill, which operates in five Washington cities, plans to open its sixth store at The Village at Meridian next year.

Founded in 2009, Zullee was called Kabob House until this summer. But with restaurants in Yakima, Spokane, Richland, Union Gap and Pasco, owner Ahmed Baqer wanted to differentiate his growing brand from competitors. “Anywhere you go, there’s a Kabob House in every city,” Baqer explained in a phone interview. “You have one in Idaho — Boise.”

Correct. There’s a Kabob House at 9140 Emerald St. (It’s a well-reviewed Afghan restaurant.)

Despite the rebrand, regulars at Baqer’s restaurants had nothing to worry about. It still has the same menu. Zullee in Richland rates 4 1/2 out of 5 stars on Yelp, where recent reviews rave “the falafel is to die for” and “I absolutely love this place.”

Zullee’s move into Idaho is just a start. After working on a potential Boise location, Baqer said, he plans to expand into Utah and Montana.

But first things first. He visited Meridian about two weeks ago and checked out the future Zullee space at 3243 E. Village Drive. The restaurant will be 2,150 feet and seat about 60 people, including customers on the patio.

“It is a great location,” Baqer said.

Along with seated dining, Zullee also will offer takeout and delivery. If you order from the Zullee website or app, prices are cheaper than they are through third-party delivery services, Baqer said.

There’s no firm opening date for the Meridian store, Baqer said, but he’s aiming for the first half of 2022.

Once it does open, he’ll keep visiting, he said.

“I’m based in Tri-Cities, so it’s four hours to be there. I can drive easy to make sure the team there is strong, so everybody is doing good.”

This story was originally published October 25, 2021 at 4:00 AM.