What NAYA does

NAYA is a Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2008 by Hady Kfoury in New York City, operating 40+ company-owned (non-franchised) locations across the Northeast (New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania). The chain's core product is a build-your-own format offering customizable bowls, pita rolls, and salads with unlimited toppings at price points between $10.59 and $14.99, supported by premium ingredient sourcing (Pat LaFrieda proteins, Lebanese olive oil and spices) and recipes rooted in the founder's family heritage.

The underlying platform combines in-store service with a digital ordering infrastructure that includes a website, native iOS and Android apps, loyalty/rewards functionality, a dedicated catering platform ($99 minimum order, $30 flat delivery fee), and third-party delivery integration via DoorDash, UberEats, and GrubHub. The product portfolio has expanded to include limited-time menu items, a retail NAYA Pantry line (pomegranate molasses, olive oil, za'atar, spice blends, mixed nuts), and an embedded CSR program ("Growth with Purpose") that partners each new opening with local nonprofits addressing food insecurity.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through high-volume, unit-priced consumer transactions (dine-in, pickup, delivery, and catering), supplemented by small retail pantry sales and corporate catering. Expansion is funded through TriSpan private equity partnership and a 2025 financing round led by Kline Hill Partners and Pacific General, supporting a stated growth target of 200 locations by 2030. The company is privately held, headquartered in NYC, and led by founder/CEO Hady Kfoury.

Name

NAYA

Legal name

Naya

Website

https://eatnaya.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

NAYA is a privately held Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2008 by Hady Kfoury, operating 40+ company-owned locations across five Northeastern U.S. states. It sells customizable bowls, rolls, and salads with premium Lebanese-sourced ingredients, supported by a mobile app, loyalty program, catering service, and retail pantry line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-Casual Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Fast Casual (THAFABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Salad & Bowl Concepts (Grain/Protein/Healthy Bowls) (THAFABAF), Health & Wellness / Functional Fast Casual (macro-counted, high-protein, allergen-friendly) (THAFABAO)

Keywords

• Fast casual dining
• Middle Eastern cuisine
• Customizable bowls
• Restaurant catering
• Loyalty rewards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Nyack

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-In and Takeout Restaurant Sales: NAYA's primary revenue stream is from sales at its company-owned fast-casual restaurant locations. Customers order customizable bowls, rolls, salads, and appetizers at price points of $10.59 to $14.99. All locations are company-owned, not franchised.
2. Delivery and Pickup Orders: NAYA generates revenue through direct online ordering (website and app) for delivery and in-store pickup, as well as third-party delivery partnerships (DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub). Orders can be scheduled in advance.
3. Catering Services: NAYA offers catering for events with a $99 minimum order requirement. Catering includes customizable bars, party packs, mezze trays, and individual bowls. A flat $30 delivery fee applies, with a 10% delivery fee for orders $300+. This is a growing B2B and event-driven revenue stream.
4. Retail Pantry Products: NAYA sells a curated line of retail pantry staples (Pomegranate Molasses, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Za'atar Mix, Spicy Red Pepper Seasoning, Mixed Nuts) at select locations, priced at $6-$10 per item, extending brand reach beyond the restaurant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NAYA operates a Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant chain selling customizable bowls, pita rolls, salads, and appetizers with unlimited toppings at 40+ company-owned locations across the Northeast US. Core revenue comes from in-restaurant, takeout, and delivery food sales, supplemented by a catering service for events, a NAYA Rewards loyalty program, a mobile ordering app, and a retail line of Lebanese-sourced pantry staples.

Product overview

NAYA is a Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant chain offering a build-your-own meal format centered on customizable bowls, pita rolls, and salads. The core product operates across 40+ company-owned locations in the Northeast, supplemented by a loyalty rewards program, catering services for events, a mobile app for ordering and loyalty, and a retail line of packaged pantry staples. The product portfolio spans dine-in, delivery, catering, and retail consumer packaged goods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NAYA Fast-Casual Restaurant Meals Build-your-own Lebanese-inspired bowls, pita rolls, salads, and appetizers with unlimited customizable toppings, served dine-in, for takeout, or for delivery at company-owned fast-casual locations across the Northeast US. Targeted at urban consumers and families seeking fresh, authentic, dietary-accommodating fast-casual Middle Eastern meals.
• NAYA Catering Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,755 meals donated and $32,761.91 contributed to community nonprofits across 10 new openings in 2024 through the Growth with Purpose program.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pat LaFrieda Meat PurveyorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAYA partnered with Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors to supply premium beef and lamb starting December 2, 2024. Proteins featured: top sirloin for Beef Shawarma and a lamb-beef blend for Kafta Lamb Kebab. This partnership ensures consistent quality and sourcing standards as NAYA scales toward 200 locations by 2030, with Pat LaFrieda's third-generation craftsmanship matching NAYA's Lebanese preparation methods.
• SaifanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-owned Lebanese producer Saifan supplies NAYA's Pomegranate Molasses and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the retail pantry line. Saifan is rooted in Lebanon's agricultural tradition, sourcing from family producers. The olive oil is sourced from Khoura, Lebanon, known for generations of olive oil craftsmanship.
• Second HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond House, specialists in authentic Levantine flavors, crafts NAYA's Za'atar Mix (seed and spice blend with thyme, sesame seeds, and sumac) and Spicy Red Pepper Seasoning for the retail pantry line. Both products reflect traditional Lebanese spice profiles.
• CastaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCastania, Lebanon's iconic nut roaster and household staple, supplies NAYA's Mixed Nuts for the retail pantry line. The snack mix features Lebanese-style peanuts, salted almonds, cashews, chickpeas, corn, hazelnuts, and pumpkin seeds.
• Rethink FoodminorOthersAs part of the Growth with Purpose initiative, NAYA partners with Rethink Food at new restaurant openings to address food insecurity in the communities where NAYA operates. In 2024, this partnership contributed to 2,755 meals donated and $32,761.91 in direct contributions.
• New York Cares, City Harvest, Allie's Place, Billion Oyster ProjectminorOthersNAYA actively supports local communities through partnerships with organizations including New York Cares, Rethink Food, City Harvest, Allie's Place, and Billion Oyster Project, as well as The Coalition for the Homeless, Rosie's Place, and others, as part of its community engagement and sustainability commitment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Cava: Cava is the closest direct peer: a Mediterranean-inspired fast-casual chain operating customizable bowls, pitas, and salads with premium ingredients at significant scale (publicly traded, 300+ locations). NAYA competes in the same customizable Levantine fast-casual category, just at a smaller, regional scale.
• Sweetgreen: Sweetgreen pioneered the customizable salad and warm bowl fast-casual format, with a digital-first ordering model, loyalty program, and premium ingredient sourcing. NAYA competes for the same health-conscious urban diner seeking a customizable, tech-enabled meal.
• The Halal Guys: The Halal Guys is a QSR/fast-casual chain specializing in halal Middle Eastern platters, gyros, and rice bowls. NAYA overlaps on halal proteins, Middle Eastern flavor profile, and bowl-driven menu, although The Halal Guys skews more street/QSR.
• Chop't Creative Salad Company: Chop't is a salad-bowl-focused fast-casual chain (NYC origin, Northeast footprint) competing directly with NAYA on customizable salad and bowl format, urban professional customer base, and Northeast geography.
• Just Salad: Just Salad is a fast-casual chain serving customizable salads, wraps, bowls, and warm grain bowls with a loyalty/sustainability program. Overlaps with NAYA on bowl customization, urban Northeast footprint, and loyalty-driven repeat ordering.
• Dig Inn: Dig Inn (formerly Dig) is a Northeast-based fast-casual concept serving customizable bowls and plates with seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. Closely comparable to NAYA on Northeast geography, build-your-own bowl format, and ingredient-forward positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Chipotle is the incumbent fast-casual benchmark that pioneered the build-your-own, customizable-format restaurant at national scale. While Mexican rather than Middle Eastern, it sets customer expectations for customization speed and pricing that NAYA's model is benchmarked against.
• Shake Shack: Shake Shack is a publicly traded premium fast-casual chain with a comparable Northeast origin story, urban footprint, premium-ingredient ethos, and growing national presence. It is a broader incumbent in fast-casual premiumization rather than a direct menu competitor.

Regional players

• Tatte Bakery & Cafeteria: Tatte is a fast-growing Boston/Northeast bakery-café concept offering Mediterranean-influenced breakfast, salads, and grain bowls. It overlaps with NAYA's Northeast geography, Mediterranean flavor influence, and urban professional customer base.

Emerging players

• Salad and Go: Salad and Go is a rapidly expanding drive-thru salad and wrap concept focused on affordable healthy bowls. It is a fast-casual peer in the customizable salad/bowl category, with an emerging but primarily regional Southwest footprint that does not overlap NAYA's Northeast territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/eatnaya
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eatnaya
• Instagraminstagram.com/eatnaya
• TikToktiktok.com/@eatnaya

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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 NAYA