Panini Kabob Grill
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Mike Rafipoor |
| Headquarters | Costa Mesa, California, United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Mediterranean cuisine |
| Website | https://paninikabobgrill.com |
Panini Kabob Grill (abbreviated as PKG) is an American restaurant chain based in Southern California that specializes in Mediterranean cuisine such as grilled kabobs, panini sandwiches, wraps, salads, and pasta dishes. The company operates a hybrid fast-casual and sit-down dining model and has expanded throughout California with additional planned growth into other states.[1]
History
Panini Kabob Grill was founded in 1997 by Mike Rafipoor in the Corona del Mar neighborhood of California under the original name Panini Cafe. The restaurant sought to offer scratch-made Mediterranean food prepared with fresh ingredients. [1]
By the middle of 2025, the chain had expanded to around 30 locations throughout California, including Orange County, Los Angeles County, San Diego County, Kern County, and the Inland Empire.[2]
Concept and operations
Panini Kabob Grill offers a menu with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influenced items such as charbroiled chicken and koobideh kabob, panini sandwiches, salads, pastas, hummus, and wraps. The company emphasizes preparing food from scratch daily and serving ingredients such as antibiotic-free and hormone-free chicken, salmon, and organic tofu.[3]
The restaurants operate with a hybrid service model in which customers order at the counter and then are served at their table. Most locations are situated in shopping centers and high-traffic urban areas across Southern California. [1]
Expansion
In November 2025, Panini Kabob Grill opened its 30th location as the ghost kitchen in Costa Mesa, California, as part of a strategy to add further restaurants across California, Nevada, and Arizona by the end of 2026.[4]
In 2025, the chain also opened a location on Sunset Boulevard near the Hollywood Walk of Fame, reflecting continued urban market growth.[5]
Plans for expansion outside California include a location on the Las Vegas Strip, with an expected opening in 2026.[6]
Reception
Third-party reviews and business coverage describe Panini Kabob Grill’s menu and service offerings, noting its approach to Mediterranean cuisine with fresh, made-to-order dishes. Listings on consumer review platforms reflect customer perceptions of the dining experience.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "This California fast-casual chain plans for national domination". SFGate.
- ↑ "Panini Kabob Grill Accelerates SoCal Growth". WhatNow.com.
- ↑ "Philosophy". Panini Kabob Grill.
- ↑ "Panini Kabob opens 30th location, plans expansion". FastCasual.
- ↑ "Panini Kabob Grill Opens on Sunset Boulevard Near Hollywood Walk of Fame". QSR Magazine.
- ↑ "Fast-growing SoCal restaurant to open on Las Vegas Strip". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- ↑ "PANINI KABOB GRILL - Updated November 2025". Yelp.
External links
This article "Panini Kabob Grill" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.