Makkah Market
Makkah Market is a family-run halal grocery, Middle Eastern restaurant, and upstairs bazaar operating 24/7 from a single storefront at 4249 Walnut Street in University City, Philadelphia since 1996. It serves Penn and Drexel students, West Philadelphia residents, local chefs, and the Muslim community with fresh halal meat, specialty groceries, homemade Middle Eastern plates, and Islamic lifestyle products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Makkah Market does
Makkah Market is a family-owned and family-run retail business operating a single location at 4249 Walnut Street in University City, Philadelphia, since 1996. The business combines three formats on two floors: a downstairs ground floor housing a fresh halal meat counter (lamb, goat, beef, chicken), a Middle Eastern grocery section (pantry staples, spices, oils, sweets, cold case), and a restaurant kitchen serving homemade Middle Eastern plates including shawarma, kebab, koshari, and tagine; and an upstairs bazaar offering Islamic clothing, houseware, gifts, an Islamic bookstore, and attar perfumes. The business operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year, including holidays.
The revenue model is straightforward retail and food service: walk-in sales of grocery items, over-the-counter meat sales, dine-in and takeout restaurant service, and bazaar merchandise, all priced at point of sale. Restaurant menu items are publicly priced between roughly $3 and $22, with platters in the $15-$22 range and sandwiches and breakfast items in the $7-$16 range. The only third-party distribution channel is Grubhub for restaurant delivery; phone orders are also accepted. There is no proprietary technology platform, no e-commerce site, no mobile app, and no public API. Distribution is single-location and serves the West Philadelphia and University City community, with regular customers including Penn grad students, Drexel undergrads, taxi drivers, local chefs, and Spruce Hill residents.
The customer base is fragmented walk-in traffic from the local community, with no enterprise or contracted accounts. Marketing is essentially passive: word-of-mouth, foot traffic from the prime Walnut and 43rd corner location near Penn and Drexel campuses, and Yelp reviews. The business has 17 employees, no disclosed funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no management roster is publicly provided. Ownership remains entirely within the founding family.
Makkah Market firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Makkah Market
- Legal name
- Makkah Market
- Website
- https://makkahmarket.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Makkah Market is a family-run halal grocery, Middle Eastern restaurant, and upstairs bazaar operating 24/7 from a single storefront at 4249 Walnut Street in University City, Philadelphia since 1996. It serves Penn and Drexel students, West Philadelphia residents, local chefs, and the Muslim community with fresh halal meat, specialty groceries, homemade Middle Eastern plates, and Islamic lifestyle products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Makkah Market industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Halal Grocery and Middle Eastern Restaurant
- NAICS
- Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Meat Retailers (445240), Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451), Food and Beverage Retailers (445), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)
- SIC
- Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Halal & Middle Eastern Grocery Stores (CRAHAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Religious & Cultural Foods Wholesale (Halal, Kosher, etc.) (AFAIAIAI), Halal & Kosher Meat Wholesale (AFAIADAH)
Keywords
Where Makkah Market is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Makkah Market business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Retail Grocery Sales: Fresh halal meat counter, Middle Eastern groceries, spices, pantry staples, and specialty items sold over the counter to walk-in customers. Operates 24 hours daily.
- Restaurant Food Sales: Homemade Middle Eastern plates including shawarma, kebab, koshari, tagine, and daily specials served from the restaurant kitchen. Available for dine-in, takeout, and delivery via Grubhub. Menu includes breakfast items, appetizers, main dishes, sandwiches, desserts, and beverages.
- Bazaar Sales: Upstairs bazaar selling clothing (hijabs, abayas, thobes, keffiyehs, kufis), houseware, gifts, Islamic books, prayer rugs, misbahas, attar perfumes, bakhoor, and oud. Sold over the counter to walk-in customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Appetizers and Breakfast Items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Main Dishes - Platters |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sandwiches |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Desserts and Beverages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Makkah Market product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Makkah Market is a family-run, 24/7 retail establishment combining a fresh halal meat counter, a Middle Eastern grocery assortment (spices, oils, dates, pantry staples, cold case), a homemade Middle Eastern restaurant kitchen (shawarma, kebab, koshari, tagine, sandwiches, breakfast, desserts, beverages), and an upstairs bazaar of Islamic clothing, houseware, gifts, an Islamic bookstore, and attar perfumes. All three downstairs formats and the upstairs bazaar operate from a single two-floor corner storefront at Walnut and 43rd Streets in University City, Philadelphia, with restaurant orders additionally fulfilled through Grubhub delivery and phone orders.
Product overview
Makkah Market is a family-run, 24/7 halal grocery store, Middle Eastern restaurant, and upstairs bazaar located in University City, Philadelphia since 1996. The business operates as a single unified retail establishment across two floors. The downstairs ground floor houses the main grocery (Middle Eastern pantry staples, spices, oils, sweets, and cold case items), the fresh halal meat counter (lamb, goat, beef, chicken, sausages, and frozen cuts), and the restaurant kitchen serving homemade Middle Eastern plates. Upstairs, the bazaar offers clothing (hijabs, abayas, thobes, keffiyehs), houseware and gifts, an Islamic bookstore, and perfumes and attar. The restaurant serves dine-in customers and offers takeout and delivery via Grubhub.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Halal Meat Counter
Companies that use Makkah Market
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Makkah Market technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Makkah Market partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- GrubhubminorGrubhub is a third-party food delivery platform that lists Makkah Market's restaurant menu for online ordering and delivery to customers in the Philadelphia area.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Makkah Market competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Marouch Restaurant: Long-running Middle Eastern restaurant in Philadelphia. Comparable as a fellow Philadelphia-area Middle Eastern food operator targeting similar diaspora and curious-customer segments, though restaurant-only without grocery component.
Direct peers
- Sahara Mart: Halal/Middle Eastern grocery concept with restaurant and specialty foods. Comparable to Makkah as a one-stop halal ethnic grocery + prepared food destination serving a specific urban neighborhood.
- Medina Halal Market: Multi-location halal grocery chain offering fresh halal meat and ethnic pantry items. Comparable to Makkah in core category (halal retail) though typically multi-site rather than single-storefront.
- Adels International Market: Mid-Atlantic halal grocery serving Muslim communities with fresh meat, pantry staples, and prepared foods. Directly comparable as a neighborhood-anchored halal grocer.
Broad incumbents
- Patel Brothers: Largest South Asian grocery chain in the US, operating specialty ethnic groceries. Comparable as an ethnic specialty grocery operator but with broader scale, multi-state footprint, and South Asian (vs. Middle Eastern) focus.
- 99 Ranch Market: Largest Asian supermarket chain in the US, combining grocery, fresh meat, and prepared food halls. Comparable format-wise as a multi-department ethnic grocery, though Asian-focused rather than halal/Middle Eastern.
- Wegmans: Major US grocery chain with growing halal and international assortments and restaurant-quality prepared foods. Comparable as a grocery + prepared food operator; an indirect competitor on specialty and convenience occasions.
- Whole Foods Market: Premium national grocer with specialty, organic, and international SKUs including halal items. Comparable as a grocery competitor for specialty pantry items; not a direct match on 24/7 or halal meat counter depth.
- H Mart: Major Asian-American supermarket chain with extensive prepared food counters and fresh meat. Comparable as a large-format ethnic grocery + prepared food combination, though focused on East Asian rather than Middle Eastern assortments.
Others
- Grubhub: Third-party food delivery platform and Makkah's listed delivery partner. Comparable as a critical ecosystem dependency rather than a competitor; relevant for understanding Makkah's off-premise channel exposure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Makkah Market social profiles
Digital presenceMakkah Market financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Makkah Market leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Makkah Market funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Makkah Market M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Makkah Market
What does Makkah Market do?
Makkah Market is a family-run, 24/7 retail establishment combining a fresh halal meat counter, a Middle Eastern grocery assortment (spices, oils, dates, pantry staples, cold case), a homemade Middle Eastern restaurant kitchen (shawarma, kebab, koshari, tagine, sandwiches, breakfast, desserts, beverages), and an upstairs bazaar of Islamic clothing, houseware, gifts, an Islamic bookstore, and attar perfumes. All three downstairs formats and the upstairs bazaar operate from a single two-floor corner storefront at Walnut and 43rd Streets in University City, Philadelphia, with restaurant orders additionally fulfilled through Grubhub delivery and phone orders.
Is Makkah Market a public or private company?
Makkah Market is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Makkah Market founded?
Makkah Market was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Makkah Market based?
Makkah Market is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Makkah Market make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Grocery Sales are the primary driver. The others are restaurant Food Sales and bazaar Sales.
Who are Makkah Market's main competitors?
Marouch Restaurant is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Sahara Mart, Medina Halal Market and Adels International Market. Broad incumbents are Patel Brothers, 99 Ranch Market, Wegmans, Whole Foods Market and H Mart. Grubhub is listed as an others.
Does Makkah Market have an API?
No public API is recorded for Makkah Market.
What industry is Makkah Market in?
Makkah Market's product category is Specialty Halal Grocery and Middle Eastern Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAFAC, Halal & Middle Eastern Grocery Stores, with a secondary code of AFAIAIAI, Religious & Cultural Foods Wholesale (Halal, Kosher, etc.). Its NAICS code is 4452 and its SIC code is 5411.