Mezza Lebanese Kitchen has expanded into Alberta with the opening of its first restaurant in Calgary.
Mezza is introducing its renowned East Coast donairs, shawarmas, and authentic Middle Eastern flavours to Western Canada.
As part of Mezza’s national growth strategy, this new location marks a significant milestone in its 35-year journey to bring healthy, delicious Lebanese cuisine all the way from Halifax to Calgary.
“Over the years, and as we expand across Canada, we’ve prioritized keeping authenticity at the core of our offerings,” said Peter Nahas, Co-Founder and Chief Concept Officer of Mezza Lebanese Kitchen. “From using generations-old family recipes and seasonings to focusing on high-quality ingredients, we remain committed to this principle.
“We believe that consumers can taste the difference in our quality, and we can’t wait to share that with the people of Alberta. Bringing Mezza to this vibrant province is more than just expanding our footprint—it’s about sharing the warmth, tradition, and authentic flavors of our Lebanese heritage with a new community.”
Last year saw another major development for the company with the opening of a 15,000-square-foot production facility in Halifax dedicated to maintaining the quality of Mezza’s dishes, including its creamy hummus, famous pickled turnips, and signature garlic sauce. All items are prepared fresh daily and used across all Mezza locations throughout the country.
Mezza traces its origins back to 1990 when the Nahas family emigrated from Lebanon to open their first restaurant in Halifax, which quickly became a popular dining destination within the city and its surrounding areas. With history rooted in family traditions and culinary excellence, Mezza has evolved from a beloved local brand into an award-winning franchise, remaining a favourite among locals.
The quick-service restaurant, which is run by co-founders brothers Peter and Tony Nahas, has 23 locations in Canada.
Peter Nahas said 22 of those locations are in all four Atlantic provinces.
“Alberta is very strategic for us. There’s a significant number of East Coast transplants—people with Atlantic Canadian roots—who’ve moved West. There’s a strong community of East Coasters here, and part of our goal is to share that East Coast connection—our food, our Nova Scotia products—with them,” he said.
“What makes us unique is our family’s generations-old recipes. We want to share those with East Coasters as a taste of home, and also introduce them to those who aren’t from the East Coast. As an Atlantic Canadian-led Lebanese restaurant group, we’re excited to bring that to the Calgary and Edmonton markets.
“And honestly, I don’t think the market here is much different than in Atlantic Canada. Canadians coast to coast appreciate healthy, fresh, delicious food. Once they try it, they’re going to love it.”
The first one was opened by their parents when they immigrated to Halifax in 1990. And this month—May—actually marks its 35th anniversary.
“They opened their first location in the Halifax Shopping Centre. It was under a different brand at the time, but the concept was the same. It started with my parents. My brother and I grew up in the business and took over in 2012. That’s when we rebranded and reformulated into Mezza Lebanese Kitchen, which is what you see today. But it’s been a family-run business since day one in 1990,” said Nahas.
“Our menu from 1990 had our core items that are still on the menu today: donair, shawarma, souvlaki and falafel. Those are our staples. We serve them as wraps, bowls, plates, poutines—modern formats, essentially.
“But if you look at old photos from back then, the core items haven’t changed. Donair has been on the menu for 35 years. Souvlaki, too—it’s always been served the same way: with Greek salad, your choice of rice or French fries, and either tzatziki sauce with the souvlaki or sweet donair sauce with the donair.
“Shawarma came a bit later—in the late ’90s, around 1997 or 1998. That’s when we started getting more into traditional Lebanese food.
“As you’d expect with any immigrant family starting out, they had everything on the menu—fish and chips, clubhouses, you name it—whatever they could cook to put food on the table.
“But donair and souvlaki have always been there. The more traditional Lebanese dishes like hummus, tabbouleh, shawarma—they came later in the ’90s. And in 2012, when my brother Tony and I took over, we focused on simplifying the menu. We leaned into our core Lebanese offerings and phased out the clubhouses, fish and chips, and so on. We focused on what makes us special and unique.”
Nahas said he would love to reach over 200 locations across the country eventually.
“I think in our QSR model, if you look at the strategic markets across Canada, 200+ is definitely within reach. You see similar growth with other brands in the ethnic food space,” he explained. “We’re aiming for that kind of scale, rolled out strategically across each province.
“The market has definitely shifted over the last 10 years—from sit-down restaurants to fast casual and quick-serve. But the key focus now is on quality and freshness. That’s what’s going to survive in this space, regardless of format.
“Consumers today prioritize good food. They want fresh ingredients. They want to know where their food comes from and what’s in it. They’re looking for clean food.
“I think if you’ve got a good product, at a good price, with great flavours—that never goes out of style. That’s not something that can get saturated.”
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