Balila Authentic Mediterranean Kitchen opened its restaurant in Colony Square Mall last month, but recently made its opening official with a ribbon-cutting held by the Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce. Three members of the Chamber team, as well as two representatives from the mall, family, and customers, gathered to welcome the new business to their first brick-and-mortar space.
“I’m just real excited to have the Mediterranean Kitchen in our community. You know, they work with Foodworks Alliance, our kitchen incubator, so it’s an opportunity for them. You know, they did the farmer’s market, and now they get to have a place here at the mall. So, it’s just a wonderful opportunity for a diverse menu,” said Dana Matz, President of the Zanesville Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce. “I’m real excited to see them succeed, and they told me that they’ve been welcomed very kindly by our community, and I hope that they’ll continue to have a lot of business.”
The mall has become a place for growing local businesses to thrive. From the newly opened Chatty Cat Closet to last year’s new additions, Bin Mania and Jamie’s Cheese Steaks (just to mention a few examples), Balila Kitchen is a perfect fit.
“There’s a lot of people who come here for shopping or something. They look at us, they come see the menu, and ask questions. A lot of them buy and give samples. They try it, they love it. So I think it’s a good start for us,” owner Ahmad Abu Baker said. “A lot of people came in, and a lot of customers from the farmer’s market showed up too. A lot of good reviews, and I believe this is what we really want to see from the people here.”
The restaurant offers a selection of fresh Mediterranean flavors, including stuffed grape leaves, kibbeh, lentil soup, tabouleh salad, a falafel sandwich, a falafel bowl, chicken or ribeye steak shawarma, and loaded fries. Prices range from $2.50 to $12.00 for all menu items.
“I think it’s very exciting to be able to have this new flavor profile to offer to our Colony Square Mall guests. And we’re thankful for the investment that the Balila has made in our community, and in Colony Square Mall in particular. And this is just going to amplify everything we already have here in the food court, and we’re really excited about it,” stated Colony Square Mall General Manager Jessica Brailer.
In addition to serving customers at the new restaurant, Balila Kitchen products can also be found at Winerak Market, Keller Market House in Lancaster, and at the Zanesville Farmers Market, as well as at other markets in the surrounding area.
According to Abu Baker, new menu items may be on the horizon. “We are adding more items. We had some ideas from the customers themselves, asking about specific food they knew about from the Middle East. And fresh juice too, fresh fruit juice. Because this is something we’re missing too. Whenever you want to try just fresh juice, no sugar, nothing pasteurized. … It’s more delicious when you leave it as is. So we’re going to make it here, sell it here.”
Balila Kitchen is open at Colony Square Mall, 3575 Maple Ave., Zanesville, in the food court during mall hours. You can order online at balilakitchen.com. Also, be sure to follow them on Facebook for updates.
