Announces Multi-Location Expansion Plans
GLENDALE–On a bright sunny day with red and white themed decorations, Falafel Arax celebrated the grand opening of its new restaurant located at 625 E. Colorado Street.
“We are excited to announce the expansion of Falafel Arax restaurants with our new look and expanded menu with many healthy options to initially serve Southern California with plans to expand nationwide,” explained Gerard V. Kassabian, Esq., President of Falafel Arax, Inc., which is the recently formed expansion company.
LA Weekly wrote in a recent article entitled “Falafel Arax Gets a Slick Makeover in Its New Glendale Location,” describing the fresh and soft modern look and feel of the new restaurant with the signature red and white theme.
The grand opening guests enjoyed the world famous Falafel Arax® falafel as well as other delicious Mediterranean foods available on the newly expanded food menu containing traditional and contemporary Mediterranean foods, which can be viewed online at FalafelAraxUSA.com. The tantalizing offerings were stylishly arranged and displayed by Gourmet 47 Catering including a charming tahini fountain for the falafels on a stick. The guests were entertained by live musical entertainment by the jazz trio String Harmonies.
Among the esteemed guests in attendance at the grand opening celebration included Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Rev. Ardag Demirjian, California Senate Pro-Tem Kevin De Leon, Glendale Mayor Ara Najarian, Glendale City Council member Zareh Sinanyan, Glendale City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian, La Crescenta Valley Town Council member Harry Leon, Baydsar Thomasian, Deputy District Director for Senator De Leon, Pattyl A. Kasparian, Member of Commission on Judicial Performance, Judee Kendall, President of Glendale Chamber of Commerce, and Tagouhi Sogomonyan, Program Director of Glendale Chamber of Commerce.
Falafel Arax offers a selection of dining options with ample seating for 34 guests on nine tables with snow white tops, two of which are in cozy booths. A clean stainless steel counter top with the signature red and white stripes underneath welcomes guests to the digital menu displays that show mouthwatering images of menu items for in-house dining or take-out. The uniformed staff greet the customers with a smile and accept orders on modern cash registers with cutting edge technology that accept credit cards and email receipts. The dining room is bright and fresh with one wall decorated with the signature red and white theme and another wall with natural wood that is soothing and comfortable for guests to enjoy a meal with contemporary background music. A display case beside the soda fountain offers hats, t-shirts and other apparel for sale with the distinctive new Falafel Arax logo.
Executive Chef Daniel Hobeika leads the Falafel Arax kitchen with an eye for perfection. “My team and I pride ourselves with fresh foods prepared daily using top quality ingredients from local vendors and, most importantly, we never take shortcuts on quality or execution,” explained Chef Daniel who hand selects all ingredients to ensure everything tastes and looks as it should.
The Falafel Arax signature menu items are Falafel, Shawerma Beef and Chicken, Chicken Rotisserie, Soujouk (Spicy Sausage), Hummus, Mutabbal, Fattoush Salad, Tabboule and other Mediterranean favorites. “We designed a menu that includes all-time Mediterranean favorites in our expanded menu that satisfies all types of diets. In addition, we are currently experimenting with other classic items including traditional breakfast items that will soon appear on our menu,” explained Shant Avakian, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Falafel Arax, Inc. The newly expanded Falafel Arax® menu contains many fresh and healthy items available at the Glendale location and all upcoming new locations including the new Arax Pink Sauce, a tangy and garlicky sauce that is a perfect accompaniment to the Chicken Shawerma French Press sandwich with french fries.
Prior to moving the US, Ardaches Ohannessian was trained by his relatives who established the world famous Falafel Arax in Bourj Hammoud since 1949. During the civil war in Lebanon, the Ohannessian family fled the region and settled in Los Angeles where they established a sister company in 1980 introducing the Falafel Arax culinary tradition to the US at its first location in Little Armenia in the heart of Hollywood, California catering to the multi-ethnic city with their traditional and top quality Mediterranean cuisine, namely Falafel, Shawarma, Soujouk and other specialties using only the freshest products and high quality ingredients. Falafel Arax has always been highly regarded with a mass following across North America, Middle East and beyond.
When the Ohannessians decided it was the right time to expand Falafel Arax, they teamed up with Gerard V. Kassabian, Esq., an accomplished attorney and real estate investor, as President and Chief Executive Officer, and Shant Avakian, Vice President of Sevan Bakery Inc., as its Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, to form the expansion team. With the help of Robert J. Sutcliffe, Esq., a highly regarded business and restaurant attorney who has handled numerous casual and high end restaurant deals in the metropolitan Los Angeles area, the expansion team will identify new Falafel Arax locations to offer its culinary treasures. The Ohannessian family remains actively involved in the expansion project to ensure all new restaurants maintain the level of quality that its guests always expect.
Open seven days a week with extended hours, Falafel Arax is located in the heart of Glendale at 625 E. Colorado Street, Glendale, California 91205. Take-out and delivery are available by calling (818) 696-2303 or visiting www.FalafelAraxUSA.com. The restaurant is open for Lunch and Dinner on Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Major credit cards are accepted. Find us on social media and Yelp. Also, like us on Facebook to receive updates and specials.
