La Palma Mediterranean Cuisine opened on the corner of John R and Canfield in Midtown near the end of 2012. Just a couple of years later and the restaurant has made significant upgrades to its physical space and services offered, resulting in nearly $500,000 in investment. Acquiring two recently-vacant adjacent storefronts, the restaurant has knocked down the walls in between the spaces, growing from 1,600 to 3,000 square feet.
The expanded kitchen and dining room debuted this past January. With it came a new menu, one that saw the addition of hamburgers, wraps, and quesadillas to the more traditional Mediterranean fare already offered. A breakfast menu debuts this week, one accompanied by longer hours of operation. Before, La Palma opened for lunch at 10:30 a.m. The restaurant will now be open for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
La Palma co-owner Adam Mahdawiyan has overseen the upgrades, each a response to his customer base. Mahdawiyan estimates that 70 to 80 percent of his customers are repeat customers, and the majority of those are coming from one of the several hospitals nearby. Around half of his business comes from catering, he says, and the expanded kitchen helps greatly with that. The larger dining area is a boon, too, offering a more comfortable dining experience throughout the day. Much care has been put into the molded wood ceilings and herringbone-arranged floor boards.
"A lot of people, when they come, they have that 'wow' effect," says Mahdawiyan. "We've spent a lot of money on the interior and décor. A lot of them are shocked."
Including more American menu items, like hamburgers, was a direct response to a demand Mahdawiyan saw. The recent addition of breakfast fills a large gap in nearby dining options. Other additions include Caribou Coffee, Mighty Leaf organic tea, freshly squeezed juice, and fruit smoothies.
One thing that hasn't changed is the quality of food.
La Palma still uses fresh ingredients bought from nearby Eastern Market vendors. The food is prepared by hand every day. The kitchen operates under halal guidelines and is one of the cleanest commercial kitchens this writer has ever seen.
La Palma Mediterranean Cuisine is located at 113 E. Canfield St.
Source: Adam Mahdawiyan, co-owner of La Palma Mediterranean Cuisine
Writer: MJ Galbraith
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