What Naf Naf Grill does

Naf Naf Grill is a privately held fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine, founded in 2009 in Naperville, Illinois by Sahar Sander and operating under Naf-Naf Holdings, LLC. The company offers a Build Your Own menu platform across bowls, stuffed pitas, plates, salads, and wraps — supported by an SKU-rationalized supply chain (reduced from 200 to 140 SKUs) and signature items including in-house baked pita, vertical-spit shawarma, and hand-shaped falafel. A digitized customer engagement stack runs on the Thanx platform, providing the Naf Perks loyalty program, online ordering, mobile app, and CRM with customer segmentation. The company sells through a dual corporate + franchise model across 38-41 locations in 14 US states, including 7+ non-traditional venues inside Love's Travel Stops.

The business model combines corporate store revenue (21 stores across 4 markets), franchise royalties (5% of sales), brand fees (1% of sales), a $500/month tech fee, a $30,000 initial franchise fee, and ancillary streams including catering, gift cards, and community fundraising. Franchise development is the primary growth lever since the program's 2019 launch, with multi-unit deals signed in Dallas-Fort Worth (10 units), Cleveland (4 units), and Columbus (4 units) — supported by a leadership bench drawn heavily from Qdoba's 60-to-650-unit scale-up.

The addressable market is the Mediterranean fast-casual sector, projected to grow at 8.3% CAGR from $22.4B in 2025 to $45.8B by 2034. Customers include individual diners, travelers at highway travel stops, sports fans via the Chicago Fire FC sponsorship, and event-based catering clients; revenue concentration is inherently low given the long-tail consumer base, though the Love's Travel Stops channel represents a concentrated, captive-audience distribution relationship.

Name

Naf Naf Grill

Legal name

Naf-Naf Holdings, LLC

Website

https://nafnafgrill.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Naf Naf Grill is a privately held Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant chain operating 38-41 locations across 14 US states via 21 corporate stores and franchisees. It serves individual diners, travelers at Love's Travel Stops, and catering clients with Build Your Own bowls, pitas, plates, and wraps featuring in-house baked pita and vertical-spit shawarma.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Naperville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales (Corporate Stores): Direct revenue from 21 corporate-owned stores across 4 markets, including both traditional and non-traditional venues. Corporate stores also serve as testing grounds for new menu items and operational initiatives before rollout to franchisees.
2. Franchise Royalties and Fees: Revenue from franchisees including franchise fee ($30K), royalty fee (5% of sales), brand fee (1% of sales), and monthly tech fee ($500). Franchising program launched in 2019 and has grown to franchisees across 14 states.
3. Catering Services: Catering menu available for events and groups, including family-style meals serving 6 people. Catering orders placed through dedicated catering portal (catering.nafnafgrill.com).
4. Gift Card Sales: Digital and physical gift cards sold through the website and at restaurant locations.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Naf Naf Grill operates a fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant chain selling build-your-own rice bowls, stuffed pitas, plates, salads, kids' meals, family-style meals, and seasonal proteins (chicken shawarma roasted on a vertical spit, handmade falafel, Halal-certified crispy chicken tenders) from in-house baked pita. Revenue is also generated through franchising (franchise fees, royalties, brand and tech fees), catering, and gift card sales. The chain operates a mix of corporate stores and franchisee-operated units, including non-traditional sites inside Love's Travel Stops.

Product overview

Naf Naf Grill is a fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant chain offering build-your-own meals across multiple formats. The core product portfolio includes Rice Bowls, Stuffed Pitas, Plates, Kids' Meals, Family Style Meals, and Naf Protein Wraps, all customizable with proteins (award-winning chicken shawarma, hand-shaped falafel, grilled steak, crispy chicken), toppings, and sauces. Limited-time offerings like Crispy Chicken Tenders, Spiced Meatballs, and seasonal items expand the menu. Supporting offerings include Naf Catering for events, Naf Fundraising for community organizations, the Naf Perks Loyalty Program powered by Thanx (with 10 points per $1 spent and Rewards Marketplace), a mobile app for ordering and rewards, and a Franchise Program for new unit development. All restaurants feature in-house baked pita, daily-made falafel, and shawarma roasted on vertical spits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rice Bowls Build-your-own rice bowl starting with a choice of rice, couscous, hummus or baba, a protein, toppings, and a sauce; served in-store and via online ordering for individual diners.
• Stuffed Pitas Pillowy in-house baked pita filled with a choice of spread, protein, toppings and sauces, available at all locations.
• Plates Build-your-own plate with a base of choice and double protein for guests wanting more food; sold in-store at all Naf Naf restaurants.
• Kids' Meals Build-your-own kids' meals with options of falafel, chicken shawarma, crispy chicken or steak, paired with a choice of sides and drinks.
• Naf Protein Wraps Warm griddled wrap made with chicken shawarma or handmade falafel plus hummus and Middle Eastern pickles; new menu category for individual diners.
• Crispy Chicken Tenders Hand-breaded crispy chicken tenders seasoned with traditional Middle Eastern spices, Halal Certified, available as entrees or 3-packs nationwide.
• Family Style Meal Family-style meal kit including protein, rice, romaine, pitas and toppings for six people; available in-store and via the catering portal for group dining occasions.
• Naf Catering Full-service catering program for parties, corporate events and sports team functions offering the complete Naf Naf menu for group dining occasions, ordered through a dedicated catering portal.
• Naf Perks Loyalty Program Customer loyalty program powered by Thanx where members earn 10 points per $1 spent and redeem rewards through a Rewards Marketplace, with exclusive access to menu tastings and VIP experiences.
• Naf Naf Mobile App Mobile application on iOS and Android supporting online ordering, loyalty rewards, and member-only perks for individual Naf Naf diners.
• Naf Naf Franchising Program Franchise offering that grants multi-unit operators the right to open traditional and non-traditional Naf Naf restaurants, with $30K franchise fee, 5% royalty, 1% brand fee, $500 monthly tech fee, a minimum 3-store commitment, $600K liquidity and $1.8M net worth.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced proprietary ingredients from 50 to 10 and total SKUs from 200 to 140, enabling consistent quality and easier scaling across new locations.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Love's Travel StopscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 December 2025Naf Naf Grill operates multiple restaurant locations inside Love's Travel Stops across the United States. The partnership began in 2020 with the first location in Greenup, Illinois and has grown to 7+ locations by late 2025 (including Mathews, Missouri). Love's manages the physical travel stop locations while Naf Naf provides the food service concept. The partnership serves travelers, commuters, and local residents with fresh Middle Eastern cuisine in a non-traditional, high-traffic highway setting.
• Chicago Fire FCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2025Naf Naf Grill serves as the official restaurant and catering sponsor of Chicago Fire FC. The partnership includes enhanced visible presence at Soldier Field, Fire Saturdays promotions with exclusive Naf Naf deals for fans, catering for team and staff, and various fan engagement activations throughout the soccer season. The partnership covers all Chicagoland Naf Naf locations.
• GiftAMealminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2025GiftAMeal is a photo-sharing program that helps provide meals to those in need. Naf Naf Grill participates by enabling guests to scan a QR code and share a photo of their meal; for every photo shared, GiftAMeal donates funds to a local food bank to provide a meal to someone in need. Social shares generate an additional meal donation. All 41 locations participated in January-February 2025 and 2024 campaigns, providing 4,500 meals in the 2024 campaign.
• Tractor Beverage CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 October 2024Strategic partnership introducing Tractor Beverage Company's certified organic, non-GMO ready-to-drink refreshers (Strawberry Dragonfruit and Mango Peach) at all Naf Naf Grill locations. The 12-fluid-ounce cans are made with 100% non-GMO, organic ingredients and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. This partnership complements Naf Naf's menu with health-conscious beverage options aligned with the growing demand for organic offerings.
• ThanxcoreTechnology or Integration · 2 May 2024Thanx provides the technology platform powering Naf Naf's Naf Perks loyalty program, online ordering, mobile app, CRM management, and customer segmentation. The partnership enables the company's Build Your Own Rewards philosophy, points accumulation and redemption, exclusive member experiences, and personalized communications. Thanx is the exclusive technology partner for Naf Naf's customer engagement and loyalty infrastructure.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cava: Largest scaled Mediterranean fast-casual chain in the US, with a build-your-own menu, bowls, and pitas that directly overlap Naf Naf's core offering. Cava is the benchmark competitor in the same category.
• Zoës Kitchen: Mediterranean fast-casual chain serving bowls, pitas, and plates with a build-your-own format. Closest direct competitor in cuisine, format, and target diner.
• Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh: Mediterranean fast-casual concept offering customizable bowls, pitas, and salads with a similar build-your-own approach. Direct head-to-head competitor in the Mediterranean category.
• The Halal Guys: New York-origin Middle Eastern fast-casual chain serving platters, sandwiches, and bowls. Closest peer in cuisine (Middle Eastern specifically) and target customer.
• Roti Modern Mediterranean: Mediterranean fast-casual chain with customizable bowls, pitas, and salads using a build-your-own model. Direct competitor in Mediterranean fast-casual.
• Moe's Southwest Grill: Fast-casual chain with a build-your-own bowl/burrito/taco format, similar franchise-led growth model, and overlapping middle-income consumer demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Qdoba Mexican Eats: Large Mexican fast-casual chain whose build-your-own format, franchise model, and senior leadership pedigree (Willman, Rott, Louden) provide the operational template Naf Naf is replicating. Comparable in GTM motion and unit economics profile.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Dominant fast-casual chain that pioneered the build-your-own customizable format Naf Naf uses. Sets customer expectations for speed, customization, and pricing power across the category.

Regional players

• Mr. Greek: Greek/Mediterranean fast-casual chain operating primarily in Canada and select US markets. Comparable cuisine positioning and build-your-own format, but with limited geographic overlap.

Emerging players

• CAVA Mezze (Ghost Kitchen / Smaller Operators): Independent and emerging Middle Eastern fast-casual concepts (e.g., Shawarmani, Tel Aviv Grill, Baya) entering the same addressable market and competing for the same Mediterranean/Middle Eastern diner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nafnafgrill
• Facebookfacebook.com/182984544102
• Instagraminstagram.com/nafnafgrill
• TikToktiktok.com/@nafnafgrill
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naf-naf-grill

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Naf Naf Grill