AIKEN — A new restaurant recently made its holiday season debut in The Junction Shopping Center on the Southside.
Laziza Mediterranean Grill held a soft opening event for family and friends Dec. 6, and the eatery officially opened for business Dec. 7.
A grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for later.
Nader Khatib and his wife, Lisa, are the co-owners of Laziza.
There also are two Laziza locations in Georgia — one in Augusta and the other in Evans.
Aiken is a “great market,” according to Nader.
“We have a lot of customers from Aiken that dine at our other locations,” he added. “They have always told me that I needed to open [a Laziza] in Aiken.”
The food served by the small Laziza chain is made from scratch using fresh ingredients, Nadir said.
David Holmes is the director of operations.
He said the most popular menu options are the chicken shawarma platter and the beef and lamb gyro pita wrap.
Chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish.
The name “sounds crazy, but it’s really just marinated chicken,” Holmes told the Aiken Standard. “It has such a bold flavor. It’s really approachable, but it just sounds funny. The flavor is really deep. There aren’t a lot of seasonings that you would find in American food that have that flavor.
A gyro is a Greek sandwich.
Aiken’s Laziza has a bar area.
There also is a patio.
“We have some lights out there and we have some music that will be out there as well,” Holmes said.
In addition, the interior décor includes a mural with a Whiskey Road/Powderhouse Road street sign and at least one horse.
“It is Aiken-themed,” Holmes said. “We also have a few hidden things in the mural that represent the owners.”
Business hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Aiken’s Laziza has around “35 to 40” full- and part-time employees, Holmes said.
Like the other Laziza locations, it is a fast casual restaurant. Customers place their orders at a counter.
Dining and Cooking