Armenian Staple Massis Kabob Grows First Standalone Location in 46 Year | Eater LA

"Finally stepping out of the mall's shadow, Massis Kabob has opened its first standalone restaurant a short distance from the Glendale Galleria at 301 S. Glendale Avenue: a corner building with roughly 3,500 square feet of dining space and room for about 150 diners across an indoor dining room and an attached patio. Run by the Baghdassarian family since they founded the business in 1976, the micro-chain built its reputation operating inside malls (Glendale Galleria, Westfield Century City, Westfield Topanga) for open-fire meat skewer grilling and crowd-pleasing meal packs — chicken and beef skewers with pita, rice, and sides — as well as everyday offerings like pita wraps, gyro plates, beef koobideh and falafel snacks. Co-owner Gevik Baghdassarian has said expansion and ownership are key to staying relevant, and with a September 3 opening this larger site is intended to boost the group's ability to service large-format customers while the original Glendale Galleria location continues to operate." - Farley Elliott