The Great Greek Opens in Ladera Heights, With a Ribbon Cutting on September 23

Saba Mengesha's 2,000-square-foot Mediterranean counter is open at 5305 W Centinela Ave, and the Chamber ribbon cutting is still to come.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is open at 5305 W Centinela Ave in Ladera Heights, a 2,000-square-foot fast casual counter inside The Ladera Center. It runs 11 AM to 10 PM Monday through Wednesday and until 11 PM Thursday through Sunday, with dine-in, pickup, delivery and catering.

The ribbon cutting has not happened yet. The LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce has it on the calendar for Wednesday, September 23, from 11 AM to 1 PM, and registration is open. If you want to meet the owner, that is the morning to go.

The build is the point. Guests pick a base of rice bowl, salad or pita wrap, then a protein that runs from gyro meat to salmon. The house signatures are the Feta Fries, which are made to order, a lineup of house-made dips, and desserts including baklava ice cream and rice pudding.

Catering is a real part of the business here rather than an afterthought, with build-your-own gyro kits, souvlaki skewers, traditional sides and desserts sized for offices, block gatherings and family parties.

The brand is an affiliated concept of United Franchise Group, co-founded by third-generation restaurateurs Nick A. Della Penna and Trent Jones, and the Ladera Heights store is franchise owned rather than corporate run.

Saba Mengesha is the franchise owner. A native of Ethiopia who has lived in Los Angeles for more than 20 years, she ran an Ethiopian restaurant for over 13 years before taking this on, and she is explicit about why she picked the neighborhood rather than the brand alone.

A Craigslist listing for the store advertised roughly 20 openings across line cooks, prep cooks, front counter and dishwashers, starting at $18.42 an hour with more for experience, full and part time, training provided and students welcome. Treat the listing as the source on the wage rather than the company.

Ladera Heights has not had much in the way of fast casual Mediterranean, so this fills a genuine gap on Centinela rather than crowding one.

Go on the 23rd. The ribbon cutting runs 11 to 1, the Chamber has it open to the neighborhood, and the owner will actually be standing there, which is not true of most openings. Any other day, build the pita wrap rather than the bowl and add the Feta Fries. They are made to order, so they land hot, which is the entire reason to order fries at a counter.