A Chapel Hill restaurant will reopen its doors next week, more than two years after being destroyed by fire.
Mediterranean Deli and Catering, 410 W. Franklin St., went up in flames in July 2023.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the building. They contained the fire, but not before it caused at least $3 million worth of damage to the restaurant, according to the Chapel Hill Fire Department.
The fire was determined to have been accidental, according to authorities.
Mediterranean Deli opened in 1991 and had been serving the community for more than 30 years when the fire happened.
The owners opened up in a temporary space and began serving takeout two months after the fire.
“This was never a business to me. It was like a home. I grew it from a 12-seat restaurant, six tables, to where it is now,” owner Jamil Kadoura told WRAL.
Kadoura said he is excited and a little nervous to reopen on Tuesday.
“I keep telling myself, ‘Do what you teach your kids to do every day,” he said. “Get up. Keep going. Don’t get down. Keep fighting back. I kept that in my mind, and that also helped me a lot.”
Kadoura said that while customers can expect the same great food, there are also some new elements – like the kitchen, which he says is his “dream” space.
Med Deli reopens in its original location on West Franklin Street from 4 to 9 p.m. for dinner starting Tuesday, Sept. 9. Kadoura said the goal is to eventually open for lunch as well.
Dining and Cooking