For more than 30 years, Mezza Lebanese Kitchen has served up fresh, authentic Lebanese food for customers in Atlantic Canada and beyond. When Tony and Peter Nahas took over the restaurant group from their parents in 2012, the brothers decided to put their own spin on the family business. 

“We wanted to change the way we were doing things,” says Peter, Vice President of Business Development and Franchising at Mezza. “‘If we’re doing this, we’re going to do things our way and bring the business to the 21st century.” 

Over the past 10 years, Tony and Peter have done just that, expanding Mezza from three restaurants in Halifax to a large network of franchise locations throughout the Maritimes. Today Mezza is one of the largest and fastest-growing Lebanese restaurant chains in Canada, with a motto that pays homage to their homegrown roots:

“EAT LIKE YOU’RE FAMILY.”

 With kitchens opening in other provinces and plans to expand nationwide, Mezza is looking toward a bright future – and reflecting on its 30-year history of culinary success.

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BACK TO THE BEGINNING

When Tony and Peter took over the business, the millennial entrepreneurs already had more than three decades of combined experience in Halifax’s restaurant industry. 

After emigrating to Halifax from Lebanon, their parents began running a restaurant in the Halifax Shopping Centre Food Court in 1990. The restaurant became a local favorite and was responsible for introducing shawarma and other Lebanese dishes to Atlantic Canada. 

Growing up, Tony and Peter would work at the family restaurant after school. They bussed tables, rang up customers, and learned how to prepare mouth-watering Mediterranean dishes like souvlaki, falafel, and tabouli. 

After graduating from secondary school, Tony took a more active role in the family business and began to work full-time in the Halifax Shopping Centre. 

“I was working at the Shopping Centre with my parents every day,” says Tony, now CEO of Mezza. But Tony had his heart set on working downtown. After persuading his father to let him take over the Barrington Street location, Tony began managing the downtown restaurant. In his early twenties, Tony was suddenly running a restaurant on his own.

“I had to learn everything on the fly, from hiring employees to learning how to make the new dishes on the menu,” says Tony. “I would work from 9 a.m. to 4 or 5 a.m. four days a week. My friends would be going out to nightclubs and bars late night, and I would be on Barrington Street working.”

While Tony gained firsthand experience running the Barrington Street restaurant, Peter would eventually take over the Halifax Shopping Centre location. As a college and graduate student, he balanced his studies with managing the restaurant. 

“I would close up at the library at midnight and then go straight to the Shopping Centre,” says Peter. “At 2 a.m., I would be doing payroll or scheduling or reporting. Then I’d go home to sleep and be in class at 8 a.m.” 

AN IMPORTANT DECISION 

In 2012, when their father approached them about taking over the family business, the brothers saw an opportunity. Together they developed a business plan and a simplified menu and set out to bring authentic Lebanese cuisine – and a taste of Halifax – to more people throughout the country.

Ten years later, they are doing just that. Mezza has developed a successful franchising model that balances fast and friendly service with healthy, home-inspired Lebanese food. Ingredients are locally sourced, and its authentic sauces, dressings, and spice blends are prepared in-house.

Tony and Peter designed this system to complement Mezza’s growth without sacrificing the consistently high quality of its food and service. Mezza now has 13 locations in Nova Scotia and even an international location in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

“We are looking to continue growing this company across the country, sharing flavor and Lebanese food culture across the country,” says Peter.

In November 2021, Mezza opened its first New Brunswick location in Moncton, which is also the first to feature a drive thru. The restaurant group recently announced plans for further expansion, with a 2nd location opening in Moncton in Summer 2022, and kitchens opening in Antigonish, N.S., Fredericton, N.B., Stratford, P.E.I., Fall River, N.S.,  and other cities throughout Atlantic Canada throughout the remainder of 2022.

*Originally published by Saltwire News on 03/19/2022. Original can be found here.