By TYLER SCHNEIDER

In 2017, Detroit businessmen Jack Mashini and Brian Shunia forayed into the restaurant business by launching their Wing Snob chicken wing franchise in Livonia. Since then, the franchise has expanded to 49 locations across the United States and Canada, including 28 in Michigan, with 19 more under construction.

Last year, the duo partnered with Mario Sattam, the owner of a small chain of fast-casual restaurants in the Middle East called Rock City Eats, to help him expand his business and open more branches.

“We decided to rename ourselves Middle Eats,” said Mashini. “We specialize in healthier versions of typical Middle Eastern dishes.”

The group opened three Middle Eats locations in 2023: Two at the site of the former Rock City Eats in Warren and Detroit and another in Bloomfield Hills. On Tuesday (Sept. 3), the fourth will open in a 1,900-square-foot space in Frandor that most recently housed Lefty’s Cheesesteaks. It will be the first location with a drive-thru.

“I really believe we’re going to hit the jackpot with the drive-thru model. Since we already had one here, we thought it would be a good opportunity to incorporate it into our operations,” Mashini said, adding that they expect to be able to complete orders in three minutes.

The menu includes a selection of bowls, wraps and salads, each with a list of ingredients that guests can customize based on their preferences and dislikes. The restaurant also offers smaller dishes such as rich shawarma fries, hummus with pita wedges and desserts.

“We’re appealing to people who want something fast, fresh, healthy and halal all at the same time, and I think that’s a winning combination for us,” Mashini said. “It’s Middle Eastern food, but I like to call it Mediterranean inspired because it has a slightly less bold flavor profile. We’ve toned down the flavors of a traditional Middle Eastern restaurant to appeal to the masses. And I think we’ve succeeded in doing that.”

He said people have compared the concept to “a Middle Eastern Chipotle.”

“We’re flattered because Chipotle is obviously a monster. But it’s a little different. There’s no assembly line, for example. We did that for speed,” he said.

The new space will seat 45 people, including 12 on the patio. Mashini is working to hire 20 to 30 employees, though some of them may transfer between the new shop and the Wing Snob location at 3415 E. Saginaw St.

“We like to follow the Wings Snobs because we can share the teams and the logistics just make sense. We also know that we have a very strong market here in close proximity to Michigan State University,” he said.

Mashini said the group hopes to open a fifth Middle Eats in Lathrup Village by the end of the year. Starting next year, they plan to open more in the Detroit area and possibly a second in Lansing on the city’s west side.