Mezza Restaurant on Elmwood Avenue is in the process of reinventing itself. Owners PJ and Johnny Eid have decided to get back to the basics, by scrapping Mezza’s Lebanese formula, and rebooting with a new name and a new menu designed around American fare. “We decided that we wanted to bring a place to Elmwood that was more of a neighborhood hangout,” said PJ. “We’re going to concentrate on crowd favorites like burgers, and a steak sandwich, while keeping the price points down. We want it to be the type of place that people want to go all the time, not just every once in a while. We’re even going to be serving up pitchers of beer, which is something that people have asked for over the years.”
PJ told me that he and Johnny are setting out to “give the people what they want.” They feel that with all of the new eateries opening up all over the city, bringing endless options and higher price tags, it’s the perfect time to reintroduce a concept that was once synonymous with Elmwood. The new restaurant will be a great place for families, or to have Sunday brunch with friends, while keeping it affordable.
PJ and Johnny are no strangers to the restaurant world. Along with Mezza (now closed), the brothers own Hearth + Press in Downtown Buffalo, which opened in September of 2016 (learn more). “That restaurant has been on the steady incline recently,” said PJ. “It’s exceeded all of our expectations. We’ve added lunch specials, pizza slice options, and roasted chicken wings to the menu. Downtowners are really appreciating the new additions. Now that H+P is running so well, we have time to focus on 929 Elmwood, which is temporarily closed. We expect that it will reopen in early March, with a refreshed look, and a new name.”