Baladi Mediterranean Cafe

What Baladi Mediterranean Cafe does

Baladi Mediterranean Café is a privately-held, single-location full-service restaurant operating since 2008 at 626 Hilltop West Shopping Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded by Chef Khaled Jebrail, the restaurant serves made-from-scratch Palestinian and broader Mediterranean cuisine including mezze, kebabs, shawarma, seafood, vegan and vegetarian entrées, and house desserts, using organic imported spices from Palestine, organic turbinado sugar, clover honey, and purified water. The menu is organized into nine categories — mezze, salads, wraps, meat entrées, vegan/vegetarian entrées, seafood, soups and sides, desserts, and beverages — and is supplemented by a private dining room accommodating up to 35 guests for events.

The company generates revenue across five streams: dine-in service, online ordering for pickup and delivery via order.baladicafe.com, full-service catering for private and corporate events, private event rentals, and Square-based loyalty rewards and gift cards. Catering pricing is structured on per-person rates ($12–$17) and platter tiers ($45–$199), while beverage menu items range from $3.95 for Baladi tea to $22 for house wine. The technology stack consists entirely of standard third-party platforms — Squarespace for the website, Square for payments and loyalty, and Tock for reservations — with no proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or data flywheel.

The customer base is predominantly B2C walk-in diners across Virginia Beach neighborhoods, supplemented by corporate and private event clients and a single nonprofit partnership (LGBT Life Center via the annual Dining Out For Life fundraiser). The restaurant has been operating for 17 years with no disclosed expansion beyond its single location, no institutional funding, and no M&A activity; ownership is concentrated with founder Chef Khaled Jebrail, supported by a small leadership team including a Marketing & IT Director and a Manager. Marketing is conducted through the website, Instagram, email, event programming (belly dance performances, anniversary brunches, Savor September), and sustainability certifications (Virginia Green, Buy Fresh Buy Local Hampton Roads, New Earth Farm partnership).

Name

Baladi Mediterranean Cafe

Legal name

Baladi Mediterranean Café

Website

https://baladicafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Baladi Mediterranean Café is a privately-held, single-location Mediterranean and Palestinian restaurant in Virginia Beach operating since 2008, serving made-from-scratch mezze, kebabs, shawarma, and vegan dishes to dine-in, online, catering, and private event customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mediterranean Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly) (HSACAGAH)

Keywords

• Mediterranean restaurant
• Middle Eastern cuisine
• Catering services
• Dine-in restaurant
• Online food ordering

Headquarters

HQ city

Virginia Beach, Virginia

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant: Traditional sit-down dining service with full menu of Mediterranean mezze, kebabs, shawarma, seafood, vegan/vegetarian options, and desserts. Lunch and dinner service daily, with weekend brunch offered occasionally.
2. Takeout and Delivery: Online ordering through order.baladicafe.com for quick pickup or delivery, generating revenue from phone orders and digital food ordering platforms.
3. Catering Services: Full-service catering for private events, corporate functions, and special occasions. Menu includes appetizers, salads, meat and vegan entrees, wraps, and desserts. Pickup, delivery, and full-service options available.
4. Private Events: Private dining room rental for brunch, lunch, or dinner events accommodating up to 35 guests with projector and screen capabilities.
5. Loyalty and Gift Card Programs: Square-based loyalty rewards program and gift card sales through SquareUp platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Baladi Mediterranean Cafe is a single-location Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant offering dine-in service, online ordering for pickup and delivery, full-service catering, and a private events dining room. The menu features authentic Palestinian dishes including mezze, kebabs, shawarma, seafood, and dedicated vegan/vegetarian options, all prepared daily using organic imported spices from Palestine, organic turbinado sugar, clover honey, and purified water.

Product overview

Baladi Mediterranean Café operates as a single-location restaurant offering a comprehensive Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dining experience. The core offering includes made-from-scratch dishes organized into menu categories: Mezze (appetizers), Salads, Wraps, Meat Entrées, Seafood Entrées, Vegan & Vegetarian Entrées, Soups & Sides, Desserts, and Beverages. Supporting services include Online Ordering & Delivery for at-home dining, Catering Services for events with vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free options, and Private Events Dining accommodating up to 35 guests. The restaurant also maintains a Loyalty Program for repeat customers. All food is prepared daily using organic authentic imported spices from Palestine, organic turbinado sugar, and clover honey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dine-In Restaurant Service Full-service Mediterranean dining experience with made-from-scratch mezze, kebabs, shawarma, seafood, vegetarian, and vegan dishes, served daily for lunch and dinner at the Virginia Beach cafe.
• Online Ordering and Delivery

Quantifiable outcome

• Praised by Judy Cowling of Virginian Pilot as 'one of life's delicious pleasures' for falafel quality
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Savor SeptemberminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 September 2025Participated in the first Savor September city-wide dining celebration in Virginia Beach, showcasing Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors paired with Virginia-made spirits and mocktails.
• LGBT Life CentercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 April 2025Annual Dining Out For Life fundraising partner. Baladi donates a portion of diners' bills to support programs and services at LGBT Life Center. Multiple years of participation documented (2018, 2019, 2025).
• Virginia GreenminorOthersMember of Virginia Green sustainability program supporting Green Tourism. Restaurant utilizes LED lighting and energy efficient equipment, recycles all glass, paper, and plastic.
• Darton EnvironmentalminorOthersMember of Darton Environmental program. Recycles canola oil used for frying falafels which is repurposed as Bio-Fuel.
• Buy Fresh Buy Local Hampton RoadscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Buy Fresh Buy Local Hampton Roads. Partners with local sustainable farms such as New Earth Farm to source fresh, organic, seasonal produce.
• New Earth FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal sustainable farm partner providing fresh, organic, seasonal produce for restaurant menu items.
• Virginia Aquaculture Oyster GrowersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported by selling Seaglass wine, which supports Virginia Aquaculture Oyster Growers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Tatte Bakery & Café: Mediterranean-inspired bakery and café with an emphasis on fresh, organic-leaning ingredients and a refined dining atmosphere. Comparable in the Mediterranean/healthy positioning, single-origin ingredient sourcing philosophy, and a strong café/daypart model.
• Zoës Kitchen: Mediterranean fast-casual chain (now re-platformed under CAVA) serving kabobs, salads, and pita-based meals with catering. Comparable Mediterranean menu architecture and dine-in plus catering business model.

Direct peers

• Yafa Cafe: Independent Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant emphasizing healthy, authentic home-style cooking with catering. Comparable in heritage-cuisine positioning, health-focused menu, and event/catering service line.
• Pita Mediterranean Street Food: Multi-unit Mediterranean fast-casual concept offering gyros, kabobs, falafel, salads, and catering. Highly comparable in menu (kebabs, shawarma, mezze, vegan options) and in serving both dine-in/lunch traffic and catering/private events.
• Olive Tree Mediterranean Cafe: Independent Mediterranean café and catering operation offering Greek/Mediterranean cuisine, lunch specials, and event catering. Comparable in business model — dine-in plus catering — and as a regional independent competitor.
• The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill: Franchised Mediterranean grill serving kebabs, shawarma, gyros, salads, and Greek/Mediterranean sides with catering. Comparable as a competitor for the same dine-in and catering customer targeting authentic Mediterranean cuisine.
• Naf Naf Grill: Middle Eastern/Mediterranean fast-casual chain focused on shawarma, falafel, and pitas with catering. Comparable as a directly competitive Middle Eastern concept with similar price points and dietary options.
• Aladdin's Eatery: Long-standing Lebanese/Mediterranean quick-service chain offering shawarma, kebabs, vegetarian/vegan plates, and catering. Direct comparable in cuisine, dietary accommodation (vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free), and catering model.
• Habibi Cafe: Independent Middle Eastern/Mediterranean café serving shawarma, kebabs, mezze, and vegetarian plates. Comparable in size, cuisine focus, and single-location/independent ownership profile.

Broad incumbents

• CAVA Group: Public Mediterranean fast-casual chain with hundreds of locations. Comparable as a Mediterranean concept competing for the same dine-in and catering customer, but operates at vastly greater scale and with a broader menu/technology stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/baladi-mediterranean-cafe

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Baladi Mediterranean Cafe