New Arrivals – March 2021
Posted by estiator at 10 March, at 03 : 09 AM Print
A coast-to coast glance at some of the industry’s newest additions
Miami, Florida
THE MIAMI DINER
themiamidiner.com
This sleek throwback in downtown Miami comes from the team behind the city’s popular Meraki restaurant and Alloy Bistro—managing partner Alex Karavias, executive chef Giannis Kotsos, and partner Ivan Kolev. “My partners and I wanted to bring a classic American diner experience to Downtown Miami,” Karavias said in a press release. “Everything is so international in this vibrant and diverse city, but we wanted to bring affordable and unpretentious cuisine to the Downtown area.” The all-day “comfort food” menu at the 1,300-foot spot includes Philly cheesesteaks, eggs Benedict, and burgers, along with Greek lemon chicken, stuffed bell peppers, and salads. For a mellow finish, The Miami Diner is offering “The Munchies”—a milkshake made with CBD-oil-infused mint and chocolate-chip ice cream.
Lexington, South Carolina
SHOWMARS
showmars.com
Showmars, the “Greek-American Southern” fast-casual brand, has planted a flag in Lexington, South Carolina. While this is Showmars’ first location in the Midlands, as central South Carolina is known, the brand owns or operates more than 30 locations in the Carolinas. Showmars heavily markets the health benefits of its Greek-accented menu. Along with salads and soups, selections include a Chicken Santorini plate of marinated, grilled bird with rice and pita; grilled veggie plate; and Beyond Burger pita with hummus. Baklava rounds out the dessert menu, along with carrot cake, cookies, milkshakes, and baklava cheesecake. This new location keeps things in the family for Showmars; Kostas Peroulas, who owns the Lexington location, is the cousin of Showmars CEO Dean Peroulas.
Pullman, Idaho
YIA YIA NIKKI’S
yiayianikkis.com
After running two Yia Yia Nikki’s locations across state lines in Oregon, Monir Desouky launched a new branch in Pullman, Idaho. The latest Yia Yia Nikki’s keeps the formula that made the first two local hits. “We make everything fresh from scratch with highquality ingredients, and everything is cooked to order,” Desouky told a local newspaper. “‘Yia Yia’ means ‘grandma’ in Greek, so we like to say our food is made with the love of a grandmother,” his wife and partner, Tina, told the paper. Lamb and beef gyros take center stage, with hearty offerings like keftedes pitas, spanakopita plate, and Greek salad rounding out the menu. Yia Yia Nikki’s also serves a “huge” gyro breakfast burrito stuffed with gyro meat, scrambled eggs, hash browns, spinach, and cheese.
