Rubair and Ray Abuhamameh wanted to open a second Mazmez Middle Eastern Grill after a successful run in Elk Grove Village over the last 10 years.
“We wanted something closer to the city (of Chicago),” Rubair Abuhamameh said. “Ray lives in Morton Grove, so we were looking for something close to him.”
The Abuhamamehs jumped at the chance to occupy a space at 1109 Central Avenue in downtown Wilmette. After the Village Board approved a special use permit on Nov. 12, Mazmez eventually opened its second location there about two weeks ago.
“Business is good,” Ray Abuhamameh said. “We’re very excited to be here. There are so many nice people. The community here is amazing.”
“We’re busy,” Rubair Abuhamameh said. “We’re getting good customer traffic. They’re kind people. They love the food.”
Mazmez is the only Middle Eastern restaurant in the Wilmette area, Ray Abuhamameh said.
“That was also one of the reasons we chose this location,” Abuhamameh said.
Rubair Abuhamameh said Mazmez does not offer any particular specialty, but so far almost all of the dishes are well liked.
“Our specialty is pretty much the whole menu,” Abuhamameh said. “We’ve had good ratings on Google for 10 years for everything.”
Among the most popular foods are the kabobs, hummus and falafel, he said. Abuhamameh’s favorite is the chicken kabob.
Baba ganoush and chicken shawarma are also very popular, Ray Abuhamameh said.
Mazmez employs about eight or nine people in Elk Grove Village, but only five in Wilmette because the restaurant is a little smaller, Abuhamameh said.
“We’re a family business,” he said. “All of our family works in the restaurants.”
The Abuhamamehs’ sister Rana and their kids work in both locations, Ray Abuhamameh said. “Rana is now the main person in the Elk Grove Village restaurant,” he said.
The recipes come from the Abuhamamehs’ mother, Ray Abuhamameh said.
“She’s the one who helped us in the beginning,” Abuhamameh said. “She gives us the recipes and we make the food.”
Their mother got her recipes from a Middle Eastern restaurant her family ran in Bethlehem for more than 30 years, Rubair Abuhamameh said.
Their grandmother ran the restaurant for two years after their grandfather died, but eventually closed it, Abuhamameh said.
“It’s hard to do alone and raise four kids,” he said of his grandmother. “My uncle opened a donut shop in the same spot in Bethlehem.”
Rubair and Ray Abuhamameh decided to open both restaurants because the whole family are “good cooks,” Rubair Abuhamameh said.
“My mom is a good cook,” Abuhamameh said. “I love grilling and smoking meats. It was something we wanted to do and we made it happen.”
Catering is a big part of Mazmez’ business, he said. Already in Wilmette, the restaurant has catered to hospitals, weddings and car dealerships, Abuhamameh said.
“Car dealers treat their staff to lunch every Saturday to show their appreciation for employees working on Saturdays,” he said. “They call us and other restaurants, as well.”
Mazmez is considering the possibility of getting a liquor license in Wilmette, but currently allows alcohol through Bring Your Own Bottle, or BYOB, Abuhamameh said.