Middle East Meets Midtown East: Tarik Fallous’ Newest Eatery

Tarik Fallous Au-Za'atar Shawarma
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Known most notably for its Original Tableside Shawarma, authentic Lebanese restaurant Au Za’atar has recently opened a second location in New York City’s Midtown East. Chef and Owner Tarik Fallous is driven to share the authentic, homestyle cuisine that he grew up eating with the people of New York City.

Au Za’atar features family recipes that his mother cooked at home, as well as his family’s signature ‘seven-spice’ blend. With both his original East Village location and his new Midtown East venture, Tarik Fallous has successfully fostered a unique restaurant experience that he feels represents both him and his culture.

Shawarma Au-Za'atarAs is the story for many businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic put Au Za’atar out of business for three months. But instead of letting the adversity of this crisis slow him down, Fallous actually used it as a catalyst to open his new location. Since opening its doors in 2014, Au Za’atar East Village has grown an impressive network of regular customers, local vendors, and friends. During the pandemic, Fallous received major encouragement and positive reactions from this support system as they asked what can we do to help you stay in business? This generous demonstration is what really inspired Fallous to open his second location. With a newfound sense of confidence and community, Tarik Fallous is thrilled to be able to expand this network, as well as give his existing customers an improved experience with this larger and enhanced space.

The pandemic has redefined our idea of “normal” in insurmountable ways, one of which the rise of outdoor dining. This current moment creates a big opportunity for outdoor dining spaces, as people may not feel fully comfortable dining indoors just yet. The new Au Za’atar space in Midtown East required some renovation, but with construction and design permits also backed up because of COVID, Fallous took advantage of the ready to go outdoor space. Also, by mainly focusing on outdoor dining right now, Fallous is able to nail down, refine, and train his staff more than he would if he were operating both dining spaces. Efficiency and coordination are key with this new restaurant. Fallous has operated a simultaneous string of projects: with indoor demolition on a renovated kitchen and the tweaking of the outdoor dining area. “Everything is coming together to be as seamlessly as possible,” Fallous noted.

With space being as limited as it is in New York City, Fallous places his focus on a creative and coherent renovation design, maximizing the restaurant’s flow for both indoor and outdoor experiences. Since Lebanese cuisine is so varied, the Au Za’atar menu is large for a restaurant of its size. To accommodate this, Fallous has designed the kitchen to have specialized equipment like extra tall ovens and grills with three levels. While staffing can be difficult for restaurant owners, especially amidst the pandemic, Fallous has been lucky to find and keep a team of staff—both in the kitchen and front of house—for many years. “Our key to staffing has been our success with staff referrals, as many of our current employees will bring in their own friends or family to come join the team, fostering a real sense of unity and togetherness.”

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“In the restaurant industry, one bad day in a week is enough to drag you back for an entire month, so imagine what the closures of COVID did,” said Fallous when discussing the pandemic’s effect on business. There are a lot more recent costs brought about by COVID like new equipment and sanitization procedures, in addition to the standard procedural costs that already exist. He asks for the continued patience and support of his fellow New Yorkers, as he knows now more than ever the importance of community. Despite the months of business lost, and all the uncertainties still to come, Fallous has pushed forward and is celebrating the opening of the doors of Au Za’atar Midtown East.


To learn more about Tarik Fallous and Au Za’atar, visit the website.

  • T&S Brass Eversteel Pre-Rinse Units
  • Imperial Dade
  • Simplot Frozen Avocado
  • Texas Pete
  • McKee Foodservice
  • BelGioioso Burrata
  • Day & Nite
  • Inline Plastics Safe-T-Chef
  • RAK Porcelain
  • DAVO Sales Tax
  • AyrKing Mixstir
  • Atosa USA
  • Red Gold Sacramento
  • RATIONAL USA