Yafo Kitchen
Yafo Kitchen is a fast-casual Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant brand operating four Charlotte, NC locations under FS Food Group, offering build-your-own bowls, catering, private dining, and an online shop.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Yafo Kitchen does
Yafo Kitchen is a fast-casual Mediterranean and Middle Eastern street food restaurant brand founded in 2016 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The brand operates four dine-in locations across Charlotte's SouthPark, Plaza Midwood, Dilworth, and Ballantyne neighborhoods, serving build-your-own bowls, shawarma-spiced rotisserie chicken, hummus made from organic chickpeas, and house-made pickled vegetables and mezze. Kitchen operations are led by Israeli-born Chef Shai Fargian, whose culinary experience in New York City and Tel Aviv shapes the menu and proprietary recipes, including the Yafo Signature Spice Blend.
The business distributes across multiple channels: direct in-restaurant dining, online ordering for pickup via the Toast Tab platform, third-party delivery through DoorDash, a small-group drop-off catering tier through EZ Cater (5-mile radius, 24-hour notice), and full-service catering through the affiliated Plate Perfect Catering arm (no delivery radius limit, 72-hour notice). Additional revenue streams include private dining for corporate events and celebrations, gift cards sold through QuickGifts/Valutec, and a branded online shop selling spice blends, apparel, and gift bundles.
Yafo Kitchen operates as a concept within the FS Food Group portfolio, sharing infrastructure, brand cross-promotion, and donation programming with sister brands including Mama Ricotta's, Midwood Smokehouse, Little Mama's Italian, Calle Sol Cafe, and Pacos Tacos and Tequila. The company has no external investors, no funding rounds, and no public listing disclosed; it is a privately held, founder-led restaurant group operating exclusively in the Charlotte metro and Carolinas markets. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but positioning is fast-casual with approachable price points, and catering is quote-based by event.
Yafo Kitchen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yafo Kitchen
- Legal name
- Yafo Kitchen
- Website
- https://yafokitchen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Yafo Kitchen is a fast-casual Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant brand operating four Charlotte, NC locations under FS Food Group, offering build-your-own bowls, catering, private dining, and an online shop.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Yafo Kitchen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant
- NAICS
- Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232), Special Food Services (7223)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Fast Casual (THAFABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Middle Eastern & Mediterranean QSR (Kebab, Shawarma, Falafel) (THAFAAAG), Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly) (HSACAGAH), Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA), Specialty Dietary & Wellness Catering (Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Allergy-Friendly) (THAFAIAK)
Keywords
Where Yafo Kitchen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Yafo Kitchen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Restaurant Food Sales: Dine-in, takeout, and delivery revenue from four Charlotte, NC locations. Revenue generated from individual customer purchases of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern menu items including bowls, pitas, platters, and sides.
- Catering Services: Two-tier catering model: Convenient drop-off catering via EZ Cater (5-mile radius, 24-hour notice, DoorDash delivery) and Full-Service catering via Plate Perfect Catering (no radius limit, 72-hour notice, professional setup). Revenue from corporate events, weddings, private celebrations, and social gatherings.
- Retail/Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including spice blends, caps, beanies, and gift cards through online shop. Also includes Yafo Signature Spice Blend and other Mediterranean culinary products for home cooking.
- Gift Cards: Gift card sales through OneLink QuickGifts platform, providing stored value for future restaurant visits.
- Private Dining: Revenue from private dining events at restaurant locations, accommodating birthday parties, corporate lunches, rehearsal dinners, family reunions, and client appreciation events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Convenient Catering - Small group drop-off service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full-Service Catering - Small and large groups |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
Yafo Kitchen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yafo Kitchen operates four fast-casual Mediterranean and Middle Eastern street food restaurants in Charlotte, NC, serving build-your-own bowls, shawarma-spiced rotisserie chicken, hummus, house-made sides, and related fare for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. The brand also offers two-tier catering (Convenient drop-off and Full-Service), private in-restaurant dining events, gift cards, and branded merchandise including the Yafo Signature Spice Blend.
Product overview
Yafo Kitchen is a fast-casual Mediterranean and Middle Eastern street food restaurant operating four Charlotte, NC locations (Ballantyne, Dilworth, Plaza Midwood, SouthPark). The core offering centers on build-your-own bowls, shawarma-spiced rotisserie chicken, hummus, and house-made Mediterranean items. The product portfolio extends beyond dining-in to include online ordering/delivery via Toast Tab and DoorDash, two catering tiers (Convenient and Full-Service through partners like EZ Cater and Plate Perfect Catering), private dining for events, gift cards, and a merchandise/shop. The restaurant is part of the FS Food Group family of restaurants alongside concepts like Mama Ricotta's, Midwood Smokehouse, and others.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Yafo Kitchen Restaurant Dine-in and Takeout Fast-casual Mediterranean and Middle Eastern street food served at four Charlotte, NC locations (Ballantyne, Dilworth, Plaza Midwood, SouthPark), featuring build-your-own bowls, shawarma-spiced rotisserie chicken, organic-chickpea hummus, and house-made sides such as pickled vegetables and hot mezze. Targets individual diners in the Charlotte metro seeking fresh, health-conscious fast-casual Mediterranean meals for dine-in or takeout.
- Online Ordering and Delivery Digital ordering through the Toast Tab platform for pickup at any of four Charlotte locations, supplemented by DoorDash delivery for at-home orders. Targets Charlotte metro diners and households seeking convenient off-premise Mediterranean meals.
- Convenient Catering Drop-off catering for small groups served through the EZ Cater platform with a 5-mile delivery radius, DoorDash driver delivery, disposable packaging, and 24-hour notice required. Targets Charlotte-area offices and small-group event hosts needing quick Mediterranean catering.
- Full-Service Catering Full-service catering for small and large groups delivered and set up by Plate Perfect Catering staff with no delivery radius limit, disposable or elevated service including chaffers, optional decor setup, and 72-hour notice appreciated. Targets Charlotte-area corporate events, weddings, and large social gatherings.
- Private Dining In-restaurant private dining experiences for birthday parties, corporate events, holiday gatherings, rehearsal dinners, family reunions, graduations, and client appreciation events. Targets Charlotte-area individuals, families, and corporate hosts needing a private celebratory venue with flexible menu options.
- Yafo Kitchen Gift Cards Stored-value gift cards purchasable through the QuickGifts platform with balance checking via Valutec Card Solutions. Targets consumers and givers seeking stored value for future visits at any Yafo Kitchen location.
- Yafo Kitchen Online Shop (Merchandise and Culinary Products) Online shop offering branded merchandise including caps, beanies, and gift cards, as well as Mediterranean culinary products such as the Yafo Signature Spice Blend, flavor bundles, and entertainer sets. Targets home cooks, brand fans, and gift buyers in the Charlotte area and beyond.
- Toast Tab Rewards Loyalty Program Loyalty rewards program run through the Toast Tab platform, allowing customers to sign up, check reward balances, and redeem points on repeat restaurant purchases. Targets repeat Charlotte-area diners across all four Yafo Kitchen locations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Six figures donated annually to charitable causes through FS Food Group
Companies that use Yafo Kitchen
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Yafo Kitchen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature3 records
Yafo Kitchen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FS Food GroupcoreParent company overseeing Yafo Kitchen and multiple other restaurant concepts in the Carolinas including Mama Ricottas, Midwood Smokehouse, Little Mamas Italian, Calle Sol Cafe, and Pacos Tacos and Tequila. Provides shared resources, brand infrastructure, and donation program administration.
- Toast TabcoreOnline ordering platform powering direct website orders, pickup scheduling, and loyalty rewards program. Integrates rewards signup and balance checking functionality.
- EZ CaterminorDigital catering platform for small group drop-off catering (5+ people) within 5-mile radius. Provides digital ordering interface, DoorDash delivery integration, and disposable packaging.
- Plate Perfect CateringcoreFull-service catering arm of FS Food Group providing professional catering for events of all sizes. Delivers food with staff, offers optional decor, setup with chafers, no delivery radius limit.
- DoorDashminorThird-party delivery platform used for both direct customer deliveries and catering drop-offs. Provides driver network and delivery infrastructure.
- Mama RicottasminorItalian restaurant concept within FS Food Group family. Referenced as fellow concept for cross-promotion and FS Food Group brand awareness.
- Midwood SmokehouseminorBBQ restaurant concept within FS Food Group family. Referenced as fellow concept for cross-promotion and FS Food Group brand awareness.
- Little Mamas ItalianminorItalian restaurant concept within FS Food Group family. Referenced as fellow concept for cross-promotion and FS Food Group brand awareness.
- Calle Sol CafeminorLatin cafe concept within FS Food Group family. Referenced as fellow concept for cross-promotion and FS Food Group brand awareness.
- Pacos Tacos and TequilaminorMexican restaurant concept within FS Food Group family. Referenced as fellow concept for cross-promotion and FS Food Group brand awareness.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Yafo Kitchen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Zoës Kitchen: Mediterranean fast-casual concept (now under CAVA) operating in similar trade areas with comparable bowls, pitas, and catering offerings.
- Flower Child: Health-focused Mediterranean fast-casual concept with bowls, salads, and dietary-friendly menu. Targets a similar health-conscious diner seeking fresh ethnic food.
- Pita Mediterranean Street Food: Fast-casual Mediterranean chain specializing in build-your-own pitas, bowls, and salads with comparable franchise expansion model.
- Taim Mediterranean Kitchen: Israeli-Mediterranean fast-casual brand with signature hummus, pitas, and bowls. Comparable to Yafo's Israeli culinary identity led by Chef Shai Fargian.
- Hummus Republic: Mediterranean fast-casual concept built around build-your-own hummus bowls, sharing Yafo's customizable format and health-forward positioning.
- Naya Mediterranean: Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain with build-your-own bowls and pitas. Closely aligned with Yafo's format and category.
- CAVA: Largest U.S. Mediterranean fast-casual chain with build-your-own bowls, pitas, and salads. Closest direct competitor given shared cuisine category, format, and customization model.
- The Halal Guys: Middle Eastern street-food concept expanding into fast-casual restaurants with platters and bowls. Closely mirrors Yafo's shawarma/mezze street-food heritage.
- Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh: Mediterranean fast-casual chain with build-your-own format, fresh pitas, and similar dietary-accommodation messaging. Operates multiple U.S. locations.
Broad incumbents
- Sweetgreen: Large-scale health-focused fast-casual chain. Different cuisine (salads) but highly relevant benchmark for tech-enabled ordering, loyalty, and unit-economics-driven expansion in the same fast-casual tier.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Yafo Kitchen social profiles
Digital presenceYafo Kitchen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yafo Kitchen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Yafo Kitchen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yafo Kitchen 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 Yafo Kitchen
What does Yafo Kitchen do?
Yafo Kitchen operates four fast-casual Mediterranean and Middle Eastern street food restaurants in Charlotte, NC, serving build-your-own bowls, shawarma-spiced rotisserie chicken, hummus, house-made sides, and related fare for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. The brand also offers two-tier catering (Convenient drop-off and Full-Service), private in-restaurant dining events, gift cards, and branded merchandise including the Yafo Signature Spice Blend.
Is Yafo Kitchen a public or private company?
Yafo Kitchen is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Yafo Kitchen founded?
Yafo Kitchen was founded in 2016.
Where is Yafo Kitchen based?
Yafo Kitchen is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Yafo Kitchen make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Food Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services, retail/Merchandise Sales, gift Cards and private Dining.
Who are Yafo Kitchen's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Zoës Kitchen, Flower Child, Pita Mediterranean Street Food, Taim Mediterranean Kitchen, Hummus Republic, Naya Mediterranean, CAVA, The Halal Guys and Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh. Sweetgreen is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Yafo Kitchen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yafo Kitchen.
What industry is Yafo Kitchen in?
Yafo Kitchen's product category is Fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAD, Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Fast Casual, with a secondary code of THAFAAAG, Middle Eastern & Mediterranean QSR (Kebab, Shawarma, Falafel). Its NAICS code is 72251 and its SIC code is 5812.