Famed Palestinian Restaurant Chain Ayat Prepares for its Philly Debut

By Gawhara Abou-eid

April 4, 2026     

Brooklyn-based Palestinian restaurant Ayat is preparing to open a location in Center City, publicly announcing Feb. 18 that it is “getting ready for Philadelphia” and posting job listings as it moves toward launch. Although an opening date and exact location have not been released, the new location would mark Ayat’s first venture into Pennsylvania.

Founder and CEO Abdul Elenani said the decision to expand into Philadelphia was driven by alignment with the city’s identity and community fabric.

“We are always looking to expand into cities that feel meaningful and aligned with our story, places where people are open to experiencing authentic Palestinian cuisine and culture,” he said. “Philadelphia felt incredibly intentional. It is where America began, a city rooted in history, identity and the idea of brotherly love. That spirit resonates deeply with us.”

Elenani said the company saw an opportunity to enter a city with a strong sense of community, culture and pride, and to contribute something that feels both rooted and new.

“Philly has the warmth, diversity and openness that make it the right home for Ayat’s next chapter,” he added.

According to founder and CEO Abdul Elenani, Ayat serves a menu built on traditional Palestinian family recipes. ©Ayat NYC

Ayat was founded in 2020 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and named after Elenani’s wife, Ayat Masoud, who is Palestinian. When he opened the first location, Elenani said, there were no restaurants in New York City openly calling themselves Palestinian. He wanted to put Palestinian cuisine and identity “on the map in a way that was unapologetic and proud,” he said, building both a movement and a restaurant. There are currently nine locations across New York, New Jersey and Texas.

The menu is built on traditional Palestinian dishes drawn from recipes passed down through Masoud’s family for generations. Elenani described them as neither reinterpretations nor modern adaptations, but preparations made the way they have long been cooked, with careful attention to preserving their integrity, flavor and history. Telling that story through food matters most when it comes from people native to the land and deeply connected to it, he said, framing the restaurant as both a personal endeavor and a forward-looking effort grounded in family legacy.

Since it was first established in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Ayat has emphasized communal dining and generous, shareable portions, said Elenani, an approach that the Philadelphia branch will continue. The restaurant keeps its menu consistent across locations. But even within New York City, each restaurant has its own energy, murals and atmosphere, he said. The design and overall vibe of the Philly space will also be shaped by the surrounding communities in and around Center City.

“Our mission is to showcase Palestinian resilience, heritage, and history through food, design and storytelling,” he said. “We are not trying to blend in.”The expansion is part of what Elenani described as a broader vision to make Palestinian cuisine more visible and accessible across the country. He said the company is intentional about where it grows, seeking cities where there is cultural synergy and where the community will connect with its mission. Growth, according to Elenani, is about building spaces that carry a larger narrative forward, not simply opening additional restaurants. Additional job lists for a Washington, D.C. location were also recently announced.

Recently, Ayat signaled a shift in its growth strategy. In a March 6 announcement, the company said its upcoming Ayat Hinds Hall will be the final location to open in New York City, citing the growing challenges small businesses face there, including regulatory pressures and operating costs. While existing New York restaurants will remain open, future expansion will take place in cities where the company believes independent restaurants have more room to grow.

Local chefs in Philadelphia’s Middle Eastern food community have welcomed the news. According to Miranda Stephen, the chef behind Philly Hummus Girl, Ayat’s expansion reflects the growing visibility of Arab cuisine in the city’s dining scene. Stephen, whose work centers on mezze and Arab culinary traditions passed down through her Lebanese family, said the opening feels overdue.

“It’s about time,” she said. “Philly has one of the best food scenes in the country, and it’s exciting to see Palestinian cuisine and Arab representation continuing to grow here.”

Along with business considerations, Elenani said he hopes the Philadelphia location deepens awareness of Palestinian cuisine in a way that feels “joyful and human.” He described food as one of the most powerful ways to build understanding, wanting guests to leave not only having enjoyed a meal but having learned something about Palestine.

“At the heart of this expansion is a desire to create something positive in a world that often feels heavy,” he said. “There is so much negativity and division, and we aim to be a place of warmth and connection. Beyond the food, we hope to create a sense of reflection and belonging.”

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Gawhara Abou-eid is an Egyptian-American researcher and journalist from Lewisburg, PA and an Al-Bustan News media fellow. They hold a BA in International Relations from The George Washington University, with a concentration in International Security Policy. Gawhara has published research for the League of Arab States in Cairo, and their journalism has appeared in The Standard Journal and The News-Item.

Al-Bustan News is made possible by a grant from Independence Public Media Foundation.