Mar. 27, 2023 By Ethan Marshall
A new Mediterranean restaurant celebrated its grand opening in Fresh Meadows on March 22. The new location marks taim Mediterranean Kitchen’s 13th location across New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Photo by Miri Elmaleh (taim)
A large crowd already began forming in front of the restaurant ahead of its 11 a.m. opening. The restaurant handed out bags of swag to the first 50 customers, with were distributed almost immediately.
The giveaways from taim weren’t limited to the bags of swag. There was also a wheel on hand for customers to spin and receive various prizes, including a notebook, lip balm, the opportunity to buy an item and get another for free and even a free entree.
Photo by Ethan Marshall
The original restaurant was founded in Manhattan’s West Village in 2005. This opening marks the second location in Queens, with another taim located in Long Island City.
Photo courtesy of Miri Elmaleh/taim
The food there is made from scratch. Additionally, the bowls can be customized by customers in a variety of ways.
Photo by Ethan Marshall
In addition to the attractions inside the restaurant, free samples were being provided outside for passersby. There was also a photo background set up with a beach background in an effort to bring the Mediterranean atmosphere to Queens.
According to the restaurant chain’s Chief Operating Officer Bethany Strong, taim has already begun connecting with the community. They partnered with Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School and Francis Lewis High School during their opening week for events, with all proceeds going to the schools.
“We knew the Fresh Meadows, Queens, community is in the heart of an area that caters to diverse cuisines and that it would be a perfect fit for us, so we have been excited about this location for awhile,” Strong said. “Through our years in the city we have had many requests to expand to Queens, so it is wonderful to finally be here. The community has been incredibly welcoming. Our customers really seemed to enjoy the ability to customize and make the food to their liking! On opening day, we had a steady flow all day and it was terrific to meet so many people from the neighborhood.”
Strong said there are still more expansion plans in the works for the chain. Among the areas being viewed for new locations are other parts of Queens as well as the greater New York and Washington D.C. areas. The expectation is that taim will double in size by this time next year.
“We hope our customers appreciate that we are making everything from scratch, using the freshest produce and 18 different high quality spices,” Strong said. “Our recipes are rooted in tradition and ones we take great care to produce — like the fact we make our hummus multiple times a day!”