Amar Bistro has met with considerable success offering its straightforward, made-from-scratch Mediterranean cuisine in Delray Beach, and now Amar is preparing for its first expansion, with a second location to open at 9982 Glades Road in Boca Raton. It’s a big step, but owner Nicolas Kurban, who runs the restaurant in partnership with Susanna Kurban, says expansion was always the plan.
“We have a vision to grow the concept,” Kurban said. “Our plan in the next two to four years is to have other locations, too. We were thinking about Boca, Palm Beach, Miami potentially. Boca has been growing a lot. There are so many new neighborhoods, apartments, country clubs. But there’s still a lack of ethnic cuisine, and really good cuisine. I think the area is ready for it.”
In Boca Raton, Amar will build on its proven menu of Mediterranean favorites, with those familiar dishes like hummus, tabouleh, falafel, kibbeh, plus entrees like Kafta Kebab, Lamb Chops, and Sheikh El Mehchi (eggplant stuffed with minced meat baked with tomato sauce, served with rice). All of these, Kurban stresses, are made entirely from scratch.
“Everything is fresh, and people come back for that freshness.”
The new location, in part because of its larger size, will also allow for experimentation with other kinds of dishes and menus. Amar Bistro Boca Raton will have a bar, which means a happy hour bar bites menu, and there may also be a plan to start serving lunch, although Kurban says this hasn’t been decided yet.
“The menu in Delray is ninety-nine percent authentic Lebanese food,” Kurban said. “In Boca Raton, it’ll be more like eighty percent. We’re going to infuse it with other creative Mediterranean specialties.”
Amar Bistro Boca Raton is expected to open late this summer. Stay up to date on the opening and other Amar news by following @amardelray on Instagram.
