Ocala

Grill Bowl Opening on SW College Road in Ocala

The Mediterranean concept will feature build-your-own bowls, wraps, and an open kitchen experience.

Image courtesy of Grill Bowl.

OCALA, FL — Grill Bowl is planning to open its first location on May 25 at 3100 SW College Road, Unit 95, Ocala, FL 34474, owner Ezzat Abdelaty told Business Debut.

Abdelaty previously owned Golden Spoon Diner locations before selling them last year. He said Grill Bowl is his new Mediterranean concept, with the first Ocala restaurant planned as the start of a brand he hopes to grow into a franchise opportunity.

What to Expect

Grill Bowl will be a counter-service restaurant focused on Mediterranean-style bowls, wraps and grilled proteins. Guests will be able to order from a digital menu, build their own bowl or choose from prepared combinations, Abdelaty told Business Debut.

The restaurant will have an open kitchen where guests can see food being prepared.

“We do everything in front of you, and you choose what you want,” Abdelaty told Business Debut. “I want the customer to feel comfortable. It is like you have a private chef in your house, but this is in the store.”

The space will include indoor seating, a room that can work for families or small meetings, and some outdoor seating, Abdelaty told Business Debut.

The menu will include bowls with white rice or yellow rice, salads, grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, ground beef, gyro meat and falafel. Guests will be able to add toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, corn, avocado and other options, Abdelaty told Business Debut.

Sauces will include creamy garlic sauce made with garlic and Greek yogurt, tzatziki and pesto-style sauce, Abdelaty told Business Debut.

For wraps, Grill Bowl will serve gyro wraps with lamb gyro meat, lettuce, tomato, onion, feta and dressing, along with falafel wraps.

“For the vegetarian people, we have the falafel too,” Abdelaty told Business Debut. “It’s like the best falafel ever in the city.”

Abdelaty said he wanted to create a smaller restaurant after years of running diners with long operating hours.

“We try to do something smaller, and we need to grow with this brand,” Abdelaty told Business Debut. “We build a brand like Grill Bowl Mediterranean. God willing, in the future, it’s going to be a good franchise.”

Opening Timeline

Grill Bowl is targeting a May 25 opening, Abdelaty told Business Debut.

Hours

Grill Bowl is planning to open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to midnight on weekends, Abdelaty told Business Debut.

Abdelaty said weekend hours are planned around events at the surrounding market, including monthly car and bike events that bring visitors to the area.