Kabab City, a restaurant with multiple locations across the Valley, has opened its second location in Fresno – yes, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

The newest restaurant opened Wednesday on the Fig Garden Loop, near Bullard Avenue.

It’s a Middle Eastern restaurant, with flavors that are Armenian, Greek, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean. It now has four locations Valleywide.

The new Fresno location opened at a tough time, when restaurants are struggling to survive doing only takeout and outdoor dining. It opened the same week the owner of the now-closed High Sierra Grill hosted a rally for small businesses, asking the state to change its reopening criteria.

The newest Kabab City location has been in the works for more than a year, and owner Abdallah Qawadri said he didn’t want to let COVID-19 keep them from opening.

“It’s a struggle,” he acknowledged.

“We said, ‘You know what? This COVID is not going to stop us from making business. We are already busy in the other locations,” he said.

The first few days of the new restaurant have been busy.

The restaurant opened its first Fresno location last year, on Nees Avenue near First Street.

Kabab City also has locations in Fowler and Reedley. The Visalia location closed before the pandemic. The Hanford location was sold and turned into a restaurant called Zaytoona.

As for the new Fresno restaurant, it’s designed to be a faster version of the other Fresno location, which has a high-end design and elaborate lighting. Customers order at a counter at the new location.

The new Kabab City is open for take out and has eight tables on its patio.

As for the food, the chicken kebab is one of the most popular dishes. It’s usually served with rice pilaf and fatoush salad (a salad of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and pita crisps).

The lamb and beef kebabs, spicy chicken, and lamb chops are also popular, Qawadri said.

The restaurant also serves salads, wraps, burgers and appetizers like hummus. Its menu is online.

This story was originally published September 5, 2020 at 5:00 AM.

Bethany Clough

The Fresno Bee

(559) 441-6431

Bethany Clough covers restaurants and retail for The Fresno Bee. A reporter for more than 20 years, she now works to answer readers’ questions about business openings, closings and other business news. She has a degree in journalism from Syracuse University and her last name is pronounced Cluff.