(UPDATE: The soft opening of Mezeh won’t likely start until sometime after the lunch hour Friday — possibly not until mid-to-late Friday afternoon. So, you may want to check ahead of time before heading out.)
It’s been more than two years since The Burn broke the news that Loudoun County was getting its first Mezeh Mediterranean Grill restaurant — and now — the finish line is in sight.
We’ve learned that the new Mezeh in Leesburg will start its soft opening this coming Friday — March 29. And we’ve got your first good look inside.
Mezeh is located at the Shops at Compass Creek. That’s the line of retail buildings that have gone up to the north of the Leesburg Walmart store by the airport.
Mezeh is the latest in a string of eateries at the center that includes Buffalo Wing Factory, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, Popeyes, Chipotle, and Starbucks.
“I’m excited to be back,” Steve Walker told The Burn. Walker is one of the founders of and partners in the Mezeh brand. He previously worked with the Moe’s Southwest Grill brand and helped open the Leesburg Moe’s roughly 15 years ago.
“It’s a great family community and I’m very excited for the potential of Mezeh in the area,” Walker said.
Of course, a soft opening is meant to be a time where a new restaurant works out any kinks with its systems and lets its young staff get some experience — before declaring a more formal grand opening.
It’s important to note — this is not the grand opening — which will likely happen sometime next week. Mezeh is famous for giving out a free bowl with the purchase of a drink on the day of its grand opening. Stay tuned for details on that.