LOS ANGELES — Fifteen years ago, when Wally Sadat and his family started their first Mediterranean restaurant, they were figuring the business out.

The concept, known as The Kebab Shop, set out to be another quality offering in the firmament of meticulously thought-through, fast-casual restaurants.

Years later, it is on the verge of opening the 30th restaurant in two states with plans to carve out territory in the third. 

“We’ve had a lot of support at our few openings at the beginning of the year which has given us a lot of motivation and confidence,” said Sadat, a co-owner and chief marketing officer.

With a developed presence in San Diego and Orange County, their immediate next step is to continue growing in Southern California. With recent locations in Burbank, Encino and Cerritos, the company plans to have three more by the second quarter of next year. The first is slated to open in Northridge in several weeks after months of searching for the right location.

“We’re looking for those premier sites,” he said.

Those sites are not anonymous strip malls or quiet neighborhoods but busy plazas filled with other similar restaurants allowing The Kebab Shop access to a reservoir of customers.

 “We don’t want to be the only shining star in the plaza. We want to make sure there are other good brands who really work hard on their concepts like we do,” he said.

That means it can take some time to find the right location. But with more staked out, they’re prime to add locations in Seal Beach and El Segundo early in 2023.

Most of the Kebob Shop restaurants are in California, but the company has a small and growing presence in Austin. Sadat said the company’s strategy is to find an area that will adopt the brand so it can expand and enjoy success over multiple locations.

With family in Austin, the company was comfortable that it could become a household name there and a destination eatery locals could get excited about.

The menu consists of wraps filled with a choice of yogurt, kebab and other ingredients common to European food carts. And there’s a box, again offering a choice of french fries, salad and kebab.There are even healthier options, like a kebab, rice and salad offering customers a range depending on mood or diet. Other Mediterranean staples include vegetarian falafel and hummus.

The company, which funds most expansions with profits from the other restaurants and small loans or contributions from investors, is eyeing Florida next. Their plan is to establish several by the end of 2023. A key to their strategy is expansion of staff. In Austin, Sadat said their management is ready to take on more responsibility when the company is ready to invest. The rest of their expansion depends on regional management, with Sadat crediting the team with the speed of the recent expansion.

That’s how they’ll keep consistency.

“Yes, we have 30, but we need to make sure we’re impressing everyone at all 30,” he said. “It’s about staying consistent and continuing to impress people for the future.”