From Dream to Table: The Family Behind Mediterranean Eatz

For Randa Ismail, the heart of Mediterranean Eatz began long before the doors ever opened.

“It was just a dream,” she said, simply.

A dream rooted in a lifelong love of cooking, baking and caring for family.

Born in New York, Randa Ismail grew up spending countless hours in the kitchen, watching her mother cook and learning by feel and instinct.

“My mom never measured,” she laughed. “She just threw it in there. That’s me today.”

Bread, in particular, became her passion, and for years, cooking and baking bread was something she did at home while raising her children as a stay-at-home mom.

But the dream of sharing her family recipes with others never went away.

“I told my husband I wanted something small,” Randa Ismail recalled. “A place like the corner delis in New York that my mom used to take us to – small, simple, family-oriented places.”

About five years ago, Randa Ismail and her husband, Alex Ismail, took over ownership of the former Uptown Mart at 1021 S. Kerr Ave., renaming it Kerr Convenience & Grill. Since then, the couple and their children have run the store, with son, Frank Ismail, playing a large role in managing the business.

One day, while helping her son with paperwork, Randa Ismail noticed documents that weren’t familiar.

“I told him, ‘This isn’t ours,’” she remembered. “He said, ‘Mom, just read it.’”

Frank Ismail had quietly started working with a contractor to build out the building’s storage area into a commercial kitchen where Randa Ismail could start her dream business.

Now, Mediterranean Eatz is truly a family operation. Randa Ismail works alongside her two daughters, her three sons and her husband.

“We wouldn’t be here without him,” she said about her husband. “He’s the head. He’s the boss. And my son Frank,” she added with a smile, “he’s the boss of me.”

The menu features shawarma, gyros and falafel, all available as bowls or pitas and wrap sandwiches. Sides include rice, fries and Mediterranean specialties such as Fattoush, Tabouli, Hummus, Baba Ghanouj and cabbage salad, all of which are available by the pound for carry out.

On the weekends, Rhonda Ismail prepares a special meal as well as a specialty bread, providing something new each week for her customers to try.

But before any dish makes it onto the menu, it has to pass Alex Ismail’s taste test.

“If he doesn’t approve it, it doesn’t go on,” Randa Ismail said.

Frank Ismail helped shape the menu while her daughters fine-tuned the presentation and desserts. Everyone in the family has a voice.

Randa Ismail said it’s important to her that guests are treated like family the moment they walk in.

“I memorize faces,” Randa Ismail said. “I might not remember names, but anyone who comes here is family.”

Looking ahead, Randa Ismail dreams of expanding the kitchen to include a dedicated baking space, creating a true three-in-one concept: restaurant, bakery and convenience store all under one roof.

Mediterranean Eatz is open daily, offering dine-in, takeout, online ordering and catering. There is also a tented outdoor space that can be reserved for private parties.

For Randa Ismail, the journey has always been about more than food.

“We’re building a family here,” she said. “At Mediterranean Eatz, I hope that you can taste that in every bite.”