If you've been craving some good Mediterranean food but Evans was too far of a drive for you... You are lucky now! According to The Augusta Chronicle, an Evans Mediterranean Restaurant opens a new location in downtown! I may have to go try it now, I've been craving some good fresh island food because we haven't been able to go anywhere of course for vacation due to Covid-19 restrictions! Why not bring the good food to us in Augusta?!
From The Augusta Chronicle:
For the past three years, Nader Khatib has been trying to open his second location in the Augusta-area but a series of challenges have delayed him.
“It’s been a very long process,” Khatib said. “It was something we’ve been working on way before COVID even hit.”
A couple of weeks ago, he was finally able to open his new Laziza Mediterranean Grill location in downtown Augusta. Khatib said securing the building and the process of getting the location ready took a long time. It didn’t help that everything shut down once COVID-19 hit back in March.
“We were always trying to open as soon as possible, that was always the plan,” he said. “Once COVID hit, we sort of were not in a huge hurry to open because we really wanted things to normalize, as much as possible, before we open but then it just got to a point where we just had to go ahead and do it. We couldn’t wait any longer.”
Due to COVID, they are offering online ordering and have partnered with Augusta To Go for deliveries. The restaurant is also offering contactless payment, curbside pickup and employees are required to wear masks and are screened before every shift for any symptoms.
With a location already in Evans, Khatib said they wanted to be part of the growth and revitalization of downtown Augusta. The new location sits across from the newly unveiled James Brown mural on Broad Street. Khatib hopes the mural is able to increase foot traffic in the area and increases visibility for his new restaurant.
“There is nothing like it in Augusta. We were one of the first ones in Evans to open a Mediterranean restaurant,” Khatib said. “We just saw an opportunity and we really wanted to be a part of the growth downtown. We found a really great location and we went for it.”
I could go for some good Mediterranean food today...