Open Sesame Grill
Family-owned Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurant operating two Southern California locations in Long Beach and Los Angeles since 1999. Serves scratch-made authentic cuisine via dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering to local families and event clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLong Beach, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Open Sesame Grill does
Open Sesame Grill is a family-owned Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurant operating two Southern California locations in Long Beach (5215 E 2nd St, headquarters) and Los Angeles (7458 Beverly Blvd) since its founding in 1999 by Ali Kobeissi. The restaurant serves authentic scratch-made Lebanese cuisine, including Chicken Tawook, Falafel, Hummus, Shawarma, French Cut Lamb Chops, Tabbouleh, and Garlic Potatoes, prepared daily without canned, jarred, or preserved ingredients. The business operates as a traditional full-service restaurant with no proprietary technology platform, relying on third-party infrastructure—ToastTab for online ordering, delivery, and waitlist management, and BentoBox for its website (WCAG 2.1 AA certified).
The company's revenue is generated through three primary streams: dine-in service at the two physical locations (with indoor and outdoor seating, a full bar, and weekday lunch reservations), takeout and delivery via ToastTab online ordering, and off-site catering for weddings, corporate events, and private gatherings. Pricing is unit-based with lunch specials starting at $13, appetizers ranging from $9-$27, main entrees from $18-$37, and catering party platters from $140. Catering orders require a $250-$300 minimum for delivery with a 3-hour lead time. Additional revenue levers include gift cards sold through ToastTab and a free door-to-door shuttle service operated via RideCircuit in the Long Beach service area.
The business targets a hybrid customer base spanning individual diners, families, and event-based enterprise customers in the Long Beach and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer with no intermediaries in core dine-in and takeout channels, while catering relies on direct inquiry forms and phone contact. Marketing emphasizes earned media (Los Angeles Times, Eater LA, LA Weekly, The Infatuation, Tasting Table, Long Beach Post), organic social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Yelp listings, and the restaurant's own website. The company is bootstrapped and family-controlled with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or external funding throughout its 27+ year history.
Open Sesame Grill firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open Sesame Grill
- Legal name
- Open Sesame Grill
- Website
- https://opensesamegrill.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Family-owned Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurant operating two Southern California locations in Long Beach and Los Angeles since 1999. Serves scratch-made authentic cuisine via dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering to local families and event clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open Sesame Grill industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mediterranean / Lebanese Restaurant
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Fast Casual (THAFABAD), Specialty Dietary & Wellness Catering (Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Allergy-Friendly) (THAFAIAK)
Keywords
Where Open Sesame Grill is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Long Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Open Sesame Grill business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Service: Full-service dining at two Southern California locations with indoor and outdoor seating. Table service with server staff, reservations available for weekday lunch hours. Revenue from food, beverages, cocktails, wine, and beer sales.
- Takeout and Delivery: Online ordering through ToastTab platform for customer pickup or delivery. Operates from both Long Beach and Los Angeles locations.
- Catering Services: Off-site and pick-up catering for weddings, corporate events, private parties, and special gatherings. Minimum $250-300 spend for delivery orders. 3-hour lead time required for online catering orders. Full catering menu with party platters, appetizers, salads, dips, and kebab skewers available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lunch Specials (Mon-Fri 11:30am-4pm) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Appetizers and Mezza |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Main Entrees |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering Menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beverages and Alcohol |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lunch Specials - Long Beach |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Open Sesame Grill product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open Sesame Grill operates two full-service Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurants in Long Beach and Los Angeles, serving scratch-made dishes such as Chicken Tawook, Falafel, Hummus, Shawarma, French Cut Lamb Chops, Tabbouleh, and Garlic Potatoes. Beyond dine-in, the restaurant sells the same food via takeout and delivery (through the ToastTab platform) and offers off-site and on-site catering for weddings, corporate events, and private parties, plus gift cards and private event hosting.
Product overview
Open Sesame Grill operates as a dual-location family-owned Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurant with a unified service model. The core offering is dine-in restaurant service featuring scratch-made Lebanese cuisine. Two additional service channels extend the core: takeout and delivery (via Toast Tab online ordering platform) and catering/private events (with customizable menus for weddings, corporate events, and private gatherings). Digital conveniences include online waitlist and reservations (Tables by Toast Tab), gift cards, and a shuttle service for the Long Beach location. All services are unified under one brand serving Southern California for over 27 years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dine-In Restaurant Service Full-service Lebanese and Mediterranean dining at two Southern California restaurant locations (Long Beach and Los Angeles), with table service, reservations during weekday lunch hours, and indoor/outdoor seating.
- Takeout & Delivery
Quantifiable outcome
- 27+ years of continuous operation serving authentic Lebanese cuisine in Southern California
Companies that use Open Sesame Grill
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Open Sesame Grill technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Open Sesame Grill partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Open Sesame Grill competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Zankou Chicken: Family-owned Lebanese chain in Los Angeles with multiple locations serving shawarma, chicken, and Mediterranean staples. Most directly comparable to Open Sesame in cuisine category, family-owned origins, and SoCal focus, though Zankou skews fast-casual counter-service rather than full-service dining.
- Carousel Restaurant: Long-standing family-owned Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant on Hollywood Blvd serving similar mezza, kebabs, and Armenian/Lebanese-leaning cuisine. Highly comparable in heritage-driven positioning, full-service family dining format, and LA customer base.
- Open Door: LA Mediterranean restaurant offering mezza, kebabs, and family-style plates in a similar full-service format. Directly comparable cuisine, SoCal location, and casual sit-down positioning to Open Sesame.
- Momed: Atwater Village Mediterranean restaurant in Los Angeles offering seasonal, scratch-made Middle Eastern and Mediterranean plates. Comparable cuisine category, scratch-cooking ethos, and SoCal full-service positioning.
- Sunnin Lebanese Cafe: Lebanese restaurant in the LA area offering authentic mezza, grills, and family-style dining. Comparable to Open Sesame in cuisine, casual full-service format, and Southern California customer base, with similar catering/private-event offerings.
Emerging players
- Bavel: Ori Baruh and Genevieve Gergis's Middle Eastern restaurant in LA's Arts District. Comparable as a high-profile Middle Eastern full-service concept with press-driven brand, though Bavel skews more upscale and chef-driven.
Broad incumbents
- Tender Greens: California-based fresh, scratch-cooking restaurant chain. Comparable in California footprint, scratch-made positioning, and casual-but-quality format, though broader in cuisine than Lebanese-focused Open Sesame.
- Cava: Public Mediterranean fast-casual chain with national scale and a dips/greens/bowls concept. Useful comparable for the broader Mediterranean category dynamics and consumer trends, though operating at very different scale and format than Open Sesame's full-service model.
- Republique: Iconic LA full-service restaurant known for press acclaim and chef-driven cooking. Useful comparable for how LA full-service restaurants build brand and media presence, though Republique operates at significantly higher price point and broader cuisine.
Regional players
- Saffron & Sage: San Diego Mediterranean-inspired restaurant focusing on fresh, seasonal ingredients. Comparable in scratch-cooking, Mediterranean positioning, and Southern California market presence, with similar catering/event offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Open Sesame Grill social profiles
Digital presenceOpen Sesame Grill compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Open Sesame Grill financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open Sesame Grill leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Open Sesame Grill funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open Sesame Grill 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 Open Sesame Grill
What does Open Sesame Grill do?
Open Sesame Grill operates two full-service Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurants in Long Beach and Los Angeles, serving scratch-made dishes such as Chicken Tawook, Falafel, Hummus, Shawarma, French Cut Lamb Chops, Tabbouleh, and Garlic Potatoes. Beyond dine-in, the restaurant sells the same food via takeout and delivery (through the ToastTab platform) and offers off-site and on-site catering for weddings, corporate events, and private parties, plus gift cards and private event hosting.
Is Open Sesame Grill a public or private company?
Open Sesame Grill is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Open Sesame Grill founded?
Open Sesame Grill was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Open Sesame Grill based?
Open Sesame Grill is headquartered in Long Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Open Sesame Grill make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Service is the primary driver. The others are takeout and Delivery and catering Services.
Who are Open Sesame Grill's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Zankou Chicken, Carousel Restaurant, Open Door, Momed and Sunnin Lebanese Cafe. Bavel is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Tender Greens, Cava and Republique. Saffron & Sage is listed as a regional player.
Does Open Sesame Grill have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open Sesame Grill.
What industry is Open Sesame Grill in?
Open Sesame Grill's product category is Mediterranean / Lebanese Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAJ, All-Day Dining Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFABAD, Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Fast Casual. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5812.