One of my favorite restaurants has to be a front for something.
 

This place is owned by a Persian family and makes the best Mediterranean food you ever had. Well, Iran isn't exactly near the Mediterranean, but you get my drift. Everything they offer is just beyond great. But they close at 8pm. If we get there at 7:30 on a Sat. night, they tell us we have to hurry or order takeout. But they're never busy. Never. They always have a help wanted sign out front, but I've never seen anyone working there who isn't a member of the family. And even then, it's maybe 3-4 people. No servers. You order at the counter, get your own drink at the fountain and they bring your food on a tray. You bus it.

Tonight I was so jonesing for that place, but we couldn't get there until 7:40. Not a single customer there, totally empty and the lady said we could only order takeout. Having just watched several Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes on a long flight and having had a few drinks, I let her have it. I asked her if they were really so busy and successful that they could turn people away with money burning a hole in their pockets. I told her I so loved their food, but that it was ridiculous that they closed earlier than all the other restaurants in that shopping center. She said that was their closing time. They don't serve alcohol, so a meal for Mrs. Lee and me usually runs $30-35 with tip. We ended up at a sushi place across the parking lot and that bill was $93. But they were open and taking anyone who wanted to eat there.

How do these guys stay open if this isn't a front?

I was going to say they own the building so no big outgoings. But if it's in a shopping centre sort of place this is unlikely.

All of the Mediterranean places I've been to are never busy. Even the good ones off tatum. I think those guys come here with $ and open restaurants to give family jobs.

On a side note i know a cook at a local mom and pop shop that tells me very openly which Mexican joints are cartel backed.

i personally wouldn't go in to anyplace 20 minutes before closing.... especially for dine in

Yep...it's a good way to get the 'special' of the day.

I had allot of family in the food biz - restaurants, grocery stores and food purveyors.

Back in the day, it was a good cash business, provided family jobs (ask me how I know) and a place to hang out with friends. I have seen gambling ( cards and backgammon). Too young to see/remember illegal stuff.

I'm Greek and a half day of work was 12 hours especially at a restaurant. My dad pushed education because he never ever wanted in that business. He has passed on a long time ago and I still remember his words. I like to cook and so does my youngest. He recently ask me if I ever thought about opening a restaurant. I told him no because my dad would come out of from his grave and kill me.

Haji-Baba in Tempe by chance?

This place is called AZ Kabob and they're in the huge shopping center at Scottsdale Rd. and Mayo. No way they own that bldg.

Wow, that place does look good. As long as they have Toum it'll be perfect.

There's also Munich Gyros in Fountain Hills that has kick ass food, but the owner is like a used car salesman who seems to make up and change prices as thing go crazy. Oh, and he's the only guy behind the counter so service is abysmal.

I am driving right past Munich Gyros today twice on the way to/from Payson. Very tempted to hit it on the way home.

Ignore the menu prices, he's gonna gouge you but the food is pretty decent

rjp

An acquaintance of mine (not a friend)
does that for a living
He starts a company and borrows as
much money as he can
to start up a restaurant
and lives off the money until it's gone.

The less work he has to do and the smaller
the staff the better
customers are a nuisance to him
He had a fish and chips place in
a terrible location and I bet I he was
averaging under 20 customers a day
that lasted a while and then went away,
3 months later the same spot was a thai take-out
place with the same owner.
again I rarely saw customers there.
now it's called something else

I have no idea how he gets the loans
or who he borrows from or pulls
off the details but he is a slick talker
I'd like to think that banks are smarter
than that but who knows

I just remembered he said thank
God for the SBA
maybe he is borrowing money from
the small business administration or
getting SBA backed loans

that would make a lot more sense
Private sector lenders usually don't
make stupid loans but doing stupid
things are the government's specialty

Ha truth.

Price is subjective....

The building is owned by ZZZ Accounting. The entire shopping center is owned by ZZZ Accounting. Munich Gyros is owned by ZZZ Accounting also. Haji-Baba...guess who owns that building?

Conspiracy time.

There was a mob owned place, lets call it "Emmanuel's. As a teenager I walked in to make a booking and the waiter/maître d yelled at me "F*** off". It turned out to be a place for mob only meetings. Connected or you weren't allowed in. And that's in lil' ole Wellington Duh, I think they are all dead now for various reasons, and maybe that's a good thing.

There's a small Indian restaurant near our house in a small plaza of about 8-9 small shops. Been there at least 20 years. Maybe 10 tables. Never more than 2-3 customers. I know the owner of the plaza and it ain't them.

There was one near my work called "Armenia" that I swear was open for 6 years and had maybe 10 customers the whole time.

I like kabobs and went there 2 times. Food wasn't bad, but they acted like I was a nuisance when I ordered. There would be 3-4 burly guys in there both times I went (take out) drinking tea or coffee, looked like they were with the Glendale Armenian mob. Drove Mercedes G Wagons. I always thought it was money laundering.

I used to eat at a Lebanese place for lunch 3 times a week from 2003-2005 then I switched jobs. I would still drop in periodically if I was in the area. I sorta got to know the owner. I think in about 2008 he sold that location (I assumed he sold the business). A new location popped up and while ‘good’ it wasn’t the same. I assumed new owners did this. I went maybe 10x over the past 17 years. Last week, I was driving through a sketchy part of town actually trying to decide if I should just grab DQ or skip lunch. I saw a place I hadn’t seen before and it had the name of this place (Desert Bakery). I thought, what the hell - let’s see.

Upon entering, I was greeted by the original owner that I hadn’t seen in over 15 years. He said hi, great to see you again old friend… anyway, the place looks newly opened, it is identical to the original place, same great people, wonderful food. He told me to make sure I came back soon and threw in some complimentary baklava. I can’t wait to go back.