Pita Bowl co-owner Dean Leunes had been eyeing an expansion of his fast-casual eatery since he launched his first restaurant in Lindenhurst in 2020, just before the pandemic, with his mother, Rea, and father, Steve.
“We wanted to bring Pita Bowl to as many people as we can,” the Lindenhurst resident said.
Five years later, Leunes, 31, opened his second restaurant in Merrick, which also comes at a time when sales in the Mediterranean cuisine market have been heating up, according to industry analysts.
The eatery at 2168 Merrick Rd. offers the same build-your-own-gyro experience as its Lindenhurst counterpart, as well as pre-made gyros and platters, Leunes said Tuesday.
Leunes said he frequented “build-your-own” restaurants such as the Tex-Mex chain Chipotle as a young adult and wanted to create a similar concept in the Mediterranean space. Pita Bowl has 17 toppings like feta cheese, cucumber, olives, hummus and tzatziki, with fresh gyro meat spinning for customers to see.
Once the Merrick Pita Bowl, which opened on Aug. 1, Leunes’ birthday, is fully staffed, Leunes said he will focus on opening a third location at 460 Union Blvd. in West Islip.
He said he would eventually like to expand into the North Shore, as well as Brooklyn and Manhattan, and that his ultimate goal is to franchise the operation.
“We haven’t explored any of those opportunities [beyond West Islip] yet, because I’m trying to set up every store to have a proof of concept,” he said. “I feel like we’re going to be a big hit here.”
Mediterranean restaurant sales are on the rise, said Kevin Schimpf, senior director of industry research at Technomic, a restaurant industry data and insight firm.
Total Mediterranean chain sales hit $2.5 billion in 2024 and increased by 18.5% on an annual basis over the last year. Much of that growth has been driven by Cava, a national chain that posted a 33% sales increase last year, Schimpf said. Cava has two Long Island locations, in Melville and in Westbury, according to its store locator.
Cava offers a menu of pita wraps, bowls and salads.
Other restaurants driving the national growth of Mediterranean chains include The Halal Guys, which closed its Long Island locations in April, and Nick the Greek, which doesn’t currently have a Long Island footprint, Schimpf said.
“Competition is definitely heating up in this category,” said Schimpf.
Leunes said the Lindenhurst location brings in $1 million annually in sales. He added that he recognizes Cava as a competitor, but he considers restaurants like Chipotle — which lets customers build their own burritos and Tex Mex bowls — competition, as well.
“But,” he said, “Chipotle doesn’t have gyro.”
Dining and Cooking