Staff photos
Four Fayetteville businesses, including three in the city’s entertainment district, were closed over the weekend due to apparent non-payment of sales tax.
Dickson Street area businesses Pitas Mediterranean Grill (540 W. Dickson), Wingz on Dickson (644 W. Dickson) and Fez Hookah Lounge and Cafe (207 N. Thompson), along with Tangiers Mediterranean Grill (2800 N. College) were all closed on Dec. 7 according to information posted to the state’s Department of Finance and Administration website. The restaurants were served closure notifications on Nov. 27.
All four establishments were owned by local resident Mohammed Khaldi when we talked to him last December.
Khaldi could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. Phone numbers at each business have been disconnected.
Pitas Mediterranean Grill
Fez Hookah Lounge and Cafe
Wingz on Dickson
Tangiers Mediterranean Grill
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Hmm, I’m not really sad to see these places go. Now if only someone would open an Indian restaurant in Fayetteville.
I wish someone would open a German or Bavarian style restaurant!!!!!
It will suck not having gyros and falafel near downtown, but Pita’s was kind of expensive considering the small portions (smallest gyros I’ve ever had), and it was always dirty and messy inside when I visited.
Don’t forget about Petra over on Center street.
Go to Nomad’s in the Nightbird parking lot! They’re awesome!
Pitas also took 45 minutes to get falafel out to me on an afternoon where we were the only table… I didn’t realize tangiers was the same owner because the food is better there as well.
Nomad’s foodtruck on Dickson has better gyros and falafels anyways Baron. Go check them out. Nightbird books parking lot.
I think I remember seeing Nomad’s a few weeks ago- thanks for reminding me! I’ll check them out ASAP.
Heard about this. Not surprised. Handlings were sort of shady as I’m told… Needless to say, there are a lot of people who are not happy with the owner right now.
DFA likes to put up those big pink signs. Public spanking.
Now ’bout an AUTHENTIC Greek restaurant – one not run by Iranians or other Mid-Easterners, but by GREEKS ?
Note – Any ‘Greek’ restaurant that does not serve Pastitsio is NOT Greek. Ditto Keftedes (meatballs).
Strickler Rick— I don’t think either Pitas or Tangiers were ever trying to be, or posing as, a ‘Greek’ establishment… If I’m not mistaken both restaurants have “Mediterranean Grill” under their names… Making them Mediterranean restaurants, serving Mediterranean food, meaning a style of food originating from Mediterranean countries… Mediterranean food does share a common denominator with Greek food, however is totally different depending on the Mediterranean country you are in at the time.
Tangiers is a city in Morocco, therefore one could expect a more Moroccan style of Mediterranean food. Pitas could be just a Mediterranean restaurant not necessarily Greek. Furthermore “Mid-Easterners” as you call them have some dope ass Mediterranean food, seeing how Lebanon and Syria are on the Mediterranean sea, and in the Middle East, both with excellent cuisine.
If you want a Greek restaurant owned by Greeks, go to Kosmos on College. I’m not sure they have your desired Pastitsio, but it’s probably as authentic and delicious Greek as you’ll get.
What?1 No moAr WINGZZZZZZ that place was the B-O-M-B.
I’m gla he got put out of business. Hopefully he won’t get another chance I reopening another business. He did his employers wrong! He should have gave them a notice or phone letting them know he was unable to pay them and keep his business open. He knew 11 days before he got shut Down that this was going to happen but let his employers find out the day they put those signs up. It would have been nice to have a notice or something that they were goin to have to fin another job, especially with Christmas a month away. He also was taking taxes “suppose to have been anyways” out of their taxes. But if that’s the case why did they shut him down? He’s no good in my eyes.
Working for one of these businesses I became acutely aware of how exploitative/underhanded the food industry can be. Without getting into specifics, let’s just say a lot of people saw something like this coming.
And yeah, Nomad’s rules.
Btw it was Wingz my sister worked at.
Seems like when applying for the creds to open up shop, someone would see this guys spotty history as a businessman and decline to issue such permits…
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I worked for this guy at Pita’s for a while. I don’t like to rejoice in people’s misfortune, but I was REALLY happy to hear about this. The owner was one of the most awful people I have met in my entire life. This place was the only place I ever rage quit because when I asked him to fix an order that he got wrong, he threw a grill rack against the wall. It was terrifying. Then he called me a racist…..also, they didn’t have soap in the back bathroom and didn’t wear gloves….and he clipped his nails in the kitchen!!!
Restaurant owners have horrible reps generally…I’ve known at least six people who’ve gotten screwed out of wages after sudden shutdowns, many more who’ve been sexually harassed.
I encourage anyone who’s lost wages to contact the state labor department and file a complaint. They’ll investigate and at least try and garnish wages, attach liens etc. Arkansas labor law is terribly anti-worker but that is one bright spot.
I worked for the guy for almost 3 months!!! He kept cheated me out of my money.. Seriously who writes a personal check but still takes taxes out of your check abd then the IRS has nothing on record!!! He still owes me and a few others money for the 3 days we worked he will not return our calls or messages!! Then day he got closed down he did not call any of his employees that it has been shut down I drove all the way up there (which takes me 20 mins to get there and to find parking) to find out we arent working!! I am very upset about this it is hard enough to find a job in Arkansas..
Wage theft is a crime, and it should be prosecuted.
I Agree
I worked at one of their establishments a little over a month. They failed a health code check and fixed things up temporarily so when the people stopped back by a few days later they’d pass. Also, I was paid in cash which was pretty fishy to me and given awful shifts to work. This is the only job I’ve done a no call no show..