The Kebab Shop
The Kebab Shop is a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain operating 55 company-owned locations across California, Texas, and Florida, serving individual consumers through dine-in, takeout, online ordering, and catering of customizable grain bowls, wraps, and protein plates.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Kebab Shop does
The Kebab Shop is a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain that operates 55 company-owned locations across three U.S. states (California, Texas, and Florida), founded in downtown San Diego and positioned as a "New School Mediterranean" concept. Its menu centers on three core formats: TKS Bowls (grain bowls), TKS Wraps (grilled wraps), and TKS Plates (protein plates), supplemented by sides (TKS Fries), kids meals offered free on weekends with eligible purchases, halal-certified options, catering, a fundraising program for community organizations, gift cards, and a loyalty/rewards program.
Revenue is generated almost entirely from individual consumers through dine-in service, takeout, online ordering for pickup and delivery via order.thekebabshop.com, and catering for events and corporate functions. The company operates a unified, vertically standardized technology stack: Square underpins point-of-sale, payment processing, gift card issuance, the email marketing list, and the loyalty/rewards program, while the Jolt digital food safety and operations platform manages daily safety tasks, temperature logs, and sanitation tracking with real-time visibility across all 55 locations. The company does not disclose franchising, wholesale, or enterprise contract revenue.
Customer engagement runs through the Square-based rewards program, a mailing list, and local store marketing via individual store contacts and listings. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no public ticker; the CEO, Arian Baryalai, surfaced publicly as the lead communicator during the May 2026 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to beef kofta supplied by Olympia Food Industries, an event that triggered voluntary product removal, supplier termination, regulatory investigation by the California Department of Public Health and USDA, and multiple lawsuits.
The Kebab Shop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Kebab Shop
- Legal name
- The Kebab Shop
- Website
- https://thekebabshop.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Kebab Shop is a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain operating 55 company-owned locations across California, Texas, and Florida, serving individual consumers through dine-in, takeout, online ordering, and catering of customizable grain bowls, wraps, and protein plates.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Kebab Shop industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fast-Casual Restaurant
- NAICS
- Special Food Services (7223)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly) (HSACAGAH)
Keywords
Where The Kebab Shop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Kebab Shop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Restaurant Dining and Takeout Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from dine-in and takeout sales at restaurant locations across California, Texas, and Florida. Customers purchase menu items including grain bowls, grilled wraps, and protein plates.
- Online Ordering: Revenue from online orders for pickup and delivery placed through the company's website.
- Catering Services: Catering services for events and corporate functions generate additional revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard menu items with various protein options |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Kebab Shop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Kebab Shop operates a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain selling made-to-order grain bowls, grilled wraps, and protein plates across 55+ locations in California, Texas, and Florida. The company also provides catering services for events, online ordering for pickup and delivery, a Square-based loyalty rewards program, and gift cards. The chain brands its menu as 'New School Mediterranean' combining traditional flavors with familiar ingredients.
Product overview
The Kebab Shop is a New School Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain with 55+ locations across California, Texas, and Florida. The company operates a unified product portfolio centered on Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, featuring three core menu formats: TKS Bowl (Grains Bowls), TKS Wrap (Grilled Wraps), and TKS Plate (Protein Plates). Additional offerings include catering services, a Square-powered rewards program, gift cards, and a fundraising program. The menu also features sides like TKS Fries, kids meals with weekend promotions, and halal-certified options. All locations are connected through a centralized digital ordering system powered by Square.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TKS Bowl (Grains Bowls) Customizable grain bowls featuring Mediterranean ingredients and proteins, served as the chain's core menu format for dine-in, takeout, and delivery.
- TKS Wrap (Grilled Wraps) Grilled wraps featuring Mediterranean-style proteins and fresh ingredients, sold as one of three primary menu formats across all locations.
- TKS Plate (Protein Plates) Protein-focused plate meals featuring grilled proteins with Mediterranean accompaniments, including halal options.
- TKS Fries French fries side item sold across locations to complement main menu formats.
- Kids Meal Kids menu offering available free on weekends with the purchase of a wrap, box, or plate.
- Catering Services Catering services for corporate events, private parties, and large group functions, offering Mediterranean meals for off-premise group dining.
- Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards for The Kebab Shop, processed through Square, redeemable at any company location.
- Rewards Program Square-based loyalty rewards program that lets customers earn free food through repeat purchases at any location.
- Fundraising Program Community fundraising program that enables schools and organizations to raise funds through The Kebab Shop events.
Companies that use The Kebab Shop
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Kebab Shop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
The Kebab Shop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Olympia Food IndustriesminorOlympia Food Industries of Franklin Park, Illinois was a beef supplier to The Kebab Shop. The company supplied contaminated beef kofta that was linked to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in May 2026. The contaminated product was removed from all TKS locations on May 18, 2026, and Olympia Foods is no longer a supplier to TKS. Nine California residents were infected, including six children, with five hospitalizations and two cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Kebab Shop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CAVA Group: The leading U.S. fast-casual Mediterranean chain (publicly traded, ~300+ locations) with grain bowls, dips, and pitas as core formats. Most directly comparable to TKS on cuisine, format, and customer base.
- Pita Mediterranean Street Food: Counter-service Mediterranean chain featuring pitas, wraps, and bowls. Overlaps directly with TKS on cuisine, format, and value-oriented price point.
- Naf Naf Grill: Mediterranean fast-casual specializing in pitas, wraps, and grain bowls with a focus on fresh, customizable meals. Closely comparable menu and service model to TKS.
- The Halal Guys: Halal-focused Mediterranean street-food chain expanding into fast-casual locations. Directly comparable on halal positioning, platters/wraps format, and target consumer.
- Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh: Mediterranean fast-casual chain offering customizable wraps, bowls, and salads with a similar made-to-order counter-service format directly comparable to TKS.
- Roti Modern Mediterranean: Mediterranean fast-casual chain known for rice bowls, wraps, and pitas. Closely comparable on menu architecture and lunch-driven consumer use case.
- Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe: Fast-casual Mediterranean chain with similar bowl/plate/wrap menu architecture and a multi-state U.S. footprint. Closely aligned on price point, dining format, and target customer.
Emerging players
- Shawarma Press: Emerging halal-Mediterranean fast-casual concept with a similar build-your-own wrap/bowl model. Comparable on cuisine and target customer though at smaller scale than TKS.
Broad incumbents
- Zoës Kitchen: Mediterranean-inspired fast-casual chain (acquired by CAVA in 2024) with broad national presence and similar menu. Comparable cuisine but larger, more established scale than TKS.
- Olive Garden (Darden Restaurants): Large casual-dining chain with Italian-leaning Mediterranean overlap. Not a direct competitor on format, but relevant as a benchmark for Mediterranean-adjacent U.S. dining demand.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Kebab Shop social profiles
Digital presenceThe Kebab Shop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Kebab Shop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Kebab Shop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Kebab Shop 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 The Kebab Shop
What does The Kebab Shop do?
The Kebab Shop operates a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain selling made-to-order grain bowls, grilled wraps, and protein plates across 55+ locations in California, Texas, and Florida. The company also provides catering services for events, online ordering for pickup and delivery, a Square-based loyalty rewards program, and gift cards. The chain brands its menu as 'New School Mediterranean' combining traditional flavors with familiar ingredients.
Is The Kebab Shop a public or private company?
The Kebab Shop is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Kebab Shop founded?
The Kebab Shop was founded in 2007. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Kebab Shop based?
The Kebab Shop is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Kebab Shop make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Dining and Takeout Sales are the primary driver. The others are online Ordering and catering Services.
Who are The Kebab Shop's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CAVA Group, Pita Mediterranean Street Food, Naf Naf Grill, The Halal Guys, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, Roti Modern Mediterranean and Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe. Shawarma Press is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Zoës Kitchen and Olive Garden (Darden Restaurants).
Does The Kebab Shop have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Kebab Shop.
What industry is The Kebab Shop in?
The Kebab Shop's product category is Fast-Casual Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSACAGAH, Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly). Its NAICS code is 7223 and its SIC code is 5810.