RAFFI'S PLACE
Raffi's Place is a family-owned, single-location Persian and Middle Eastern restaurant in Glendale, California, founded in 1993 by Rafik Bakijanian. It serves dine-in guests authentic Persian cuisine with full bar service and direct online ordering for pickup.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersGlendale, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What RAFFI'S PLACE does
Raffi's Place is a single-location Persian and Middle Eastern restaurant founded in December 1993 by Rafik Bakijanian and his wife Gohar, operating at 211 E. Broadway in Glendale, California. The restaurant serves authentic Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine in a distinctive indoor/outdoor setting reminiscent of a Mediterranean courtyard, offering an extensive menu that spans appetizers (priced $8-$16), soups and salads, specialty stews with rice such as Fesenjoon and Gheimeh Bademjan ($23-$24), and grilled meat entrees ($23-$42), complemented by a full bar featuring Armenian beers, wines, and signature cocktails, plus traditional Persian desserts.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer model focused on dine-in service, with a secondary pickup channel added through its own website's online ordering system. Pricing is unit-based pay-as-you-go with no subscription, membership, or enterprise contract structure. The restaurant is privately held, family-owned, and operates without franchising, third-party delivery partnerships, or marketplace distribution, drawing patrons from the Greater Los Angeles Area and farther via earned media recognition in LA Times, ZAGAT, Eater LA, and Los Angeles Magazine.
The headcount of 16 supports a single-location full-service restaurant operation, and the underlying technology stack is minimal: a content/menu website with a basic online ordering storefront and a UserWay-powered WCAG 2.1 accessibility widget. There is no proprietary software platform, no AI/ML capability, no API integrations, and no mobile application; the product offering is the integrated dining experience itself. Revenue mechanics flow entirely through on-premises food and beverage sales plus pickup orders, with no third-party logistics, catering channel, or wholesale distribution evidenced.
RAFFI'S PLACE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RAFFI'S PLACE
- Website
- https://raffisplace.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Raffi's Place is a family-owned, single-location Persian and Middle Eastern restaurant in Glendale, California, founded in 1993 by Rafik Bakijanian. It serves dine-in guests authentic Persian cuisine with full bar service and direct online ordering for pickup.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RAFFI'S PLACE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Persian / Middle Eastern Restaurant Dining
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Fast Casual (THAFABAD)
Keywords
Where RAFFI'S PLACE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glendale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
RAFFI'S PLACE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in restaurant service: Traditional dine-in restaurant service in an indoor/outdoor Mediterranean courtyard setting. Revenue generated from food and beverage sales consumed on premises. All entrees served on a bed of fluffy basmati rice with grilled tomato and Anaheim pepper.
- Online ordering: Customers place orders online through the company's own website for pickup or delivery. Online ordering channel accessible via the website.
- Bar and beverage sales: Full bar service including imported and domestic beer, wine by the glass and bottle, cocktails, spirits, and specialty Persian-inspired drinks. Bar menu features Armenian beers (Kotayk, Kilikia, Erebuni) and specialty cocktails unique to the restaurant.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Appetizers and sides ($8–$16) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Entrees ($23–$42) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beverages (bar menu) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Desserts ($2–$7) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
RAFFI'S PLACE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Raffi's Place is a single-location Persian and Middle Eastern restaurant in Glendale, California, founded in 1993. It offers dine-in service in an indoor/outdoor Mediterranean courtyard setting, serving authentic Persian menu items including appetizers, soups, salads, specialty stews with basmati rice, and hand-selected, hand-seasoned grilled meat entrees. The restaurant also provides a full bar featuring imported and domestic beers, Armenian beers, wines, specialty Persian-inspired cocktails, and spirits, with online ordering available through the company's own website for pickup.
Product overview
Raffi's Place is a single-location Persian and Middle Eastern restaurant established in 1993. The restaurant offers dine-in services featuring authentic Persian cuisine including appetizers (Tadig, Kashk O'Bademjan, hummus, etc.), soups and salads, specialty stews with rice (Fesenjoon, Gheimeh Bademjan, Ghormesabzi), and grilled meat entrees (beef, lamb, poultry, fish kebabs). The offering is a unified restaurant service model supplemented by bar services, online ordering for takeout, and dessert menu. No modular product architecture exists; the restaurant operates as an integrated dining experience combining food service, beverage service, and takeout capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Persian and Middle Eastern Restaurant Dining Authentic Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine served in an indoor/outdoor setting reminiscent of a Mediterranean courtyard at 211 E. Broadway, Glendale, CA. The menu includes appetizers, soups, salads, specialty stews with basmati rice, and hand-selected, hand-seasoned, carefully grilled meat entrees. Targeted at individual diners, families, and small groups seeking authentic home-style Persian food.
- Online Ordering for Pickup
Companies that use RAFFI'S PLACE
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
RAFFI'S PLACE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RAFFI'S PLACE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
RAFFI'S PLACE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Zankou Chicken: Iconic LA-based Armenian/Middle Eastern chain with multiple locations. Provides a broader benchmark for how a successful LA Armenian/Middle Eastern concept can scale into a multi-unit brand, though the format is counter-service.
Direct peers
- Skaf's Grill: Middle Eastern (Lebanese/Armenian-leaning) restaurant in Glendale with kebabs, stews, and a sit-down format. Comparable price point, cuisine overlap, and immediate geographic overlap.
- Carousel Restaurant: Long-standing Armenian/Middle Eastern restaurant in Glendale/Hollywood with a similar mid-priced, full-service format and family-owned heritage. Direct competitor in the same neighborhood and cuisine segment.
- Parseh Restaurant: Persian restaurant in the LA area (North Hollywood) serving traditional stews and kebabs. Comparable sit-down Persian dining concept at a similar price point.
- Open Sesame: Lebanese/Middle Eastern restaurant in LA with multiple locations, comparable sit-down format, and a broader menu of kebabs and mezze. Comparable neighborhood Middle Eastern dining peer.
- Taste of Tehran: Persian restaurant in Westwood LA serving traditional stews, kebabs, and rice dishes in a casual sit-down environment. Direct cuisine competitor at a similar price point.
- Bavel: Middle Eastern restaurant in the Arts District of Downtown LA from the Ori Menasherof / Genevieve Gergis team. Upscale contemporary Middle Eastern dining with comparable bar program and media recognition. Comparable position but on the higher-price end of the category.
- Tagine: Moroccan/Middle Eastern restaurant in Beverly Hills with a similar full-service format, full bar, and North African/Middle Eastern cuisine overlap. Comparable upscale casual peer.
- Nersses Vanak: Persian/Armenian restaurant in Glendale serving traditional stews and kebabs in a family-style setting. Closest cuisine and locale competitor to Raffi's Place.
- Shamshiri Grill: Iconic Persian restaurant on Westwood Blvd in Los Angeles with a comparable sit-down format, similar kabob-and-stew menu, and similar long-established brand recognition. Closest non-Glendale direct peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RAFFI'S PLACE social profiles
Digital presenceRAFFI'S PLACE compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
RAFFI'S PLACE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RAFFI'S PLACE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
RAFFI'S PLACE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RAFFI'S PLACE 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 RAFFI'S PLACE
What does RAFFI'S PLACE do?
Raffi's Place is a single-location Persian and Middle Eastern restaurant in Glendale, California, founded in 1993. It offers dine-in service in an indoor/outdoor Mediterranean courtyard setting, serving authentic Persian menu items including appetizers, soups, salads, specialty stews with basmati rice, and hand-selected, hand-seasoned grilled meat entrees. The restaurant also provides a full bar featuring imported and domestic beers, Armenian beers, wines, specialty Persian-inspired cocktails, and spirits, with online ordering available through the company's own website for pickup.
Is RAFFI'S PLACE a public or private company?
RAFFI'S PLACE is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was RAFFI'S PLACE founded?
RAFFI'S PLACE was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RAFFI'S PLACE based?
RAFFI'S PLACE is headquartered in Glendale, United States, in the North America region.
How does RAFFI'S PLACE make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Dine-in restaurant service is the primary driver. The others are online ordering and bar and beverage sales.
Who are RAFFI'S PLACE's main competitors?
Zankou Chicken is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Skaf's Grill, Carousel Restaurant, Parseh Restaurant, Open Sesame, Taste of Tehran, Bavel, Tagine, Nersses Vanak and Shamshiri Grill.
Does RAFFI'S PLACE have an API?
No public API is recorded for RAFFI'S PLACE.
What industry is RAFFI'S PLACE in?
RAFFI'S PLACE's product category is Persian / Middle Eastern Restaurant Dining. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAD, Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Fast Casual. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.