The area in and around downtown Lake Orion is now a more diverse place to eat.
Over the last two months, two new restaurants have opened, with another reopening its doors, along the M-24 corridor, providing even more food choices to the people of the township.
Kabob Grill, at 780 S. Lapeer Road, Broadway Grill at 455 S. Lapeer Road, and the newly redesigned Leo’s Coney Island at 281 South Broadway are now serving customers.
‘We were so surprised how much interest there was when we first opened,? said Ferdinand Deda, owner of Broadway Grill, who experienced a high volume of business just days after opening in December. ‘There are very good customers in Lake Orion – we see many of them a couple times per week.
‘A friend of mine used to live in Lake Orion, and told me it was a small town with good people. My friend was right.?
For the owner of Leo’s Coney Island, the large customer base was enough to prompt a remodeling of the store. The restaurant, part of a chain owned by Leo Stassinopoulos but run by franchise own ers, was around 50 years old according to the co-owner on duty. He said it was simply time to remodel.
‘The place was way too small,? he said. ‘We used to get complaints because the place was way too old, and you cannot do business when people are not comfortable. There would be lines for the bathrooms and this was our chance to make everything look brand new and nice.
‘Everyone who comes in is happy with the redesign and everything is brand new now. Even the bathrooms are twice as big.?
For Sam and Mike Abdallah, brothers and owners of Kabob Grill, it was customers asking them to open a location closer to Lake Orion that prompted them to do so. They also operate a Rochester branch, located in the Village of Rochester Hills Mall, and have worked in the food preparation business since 1997. They fed a high number of Lake Orion customers at the Rochester location, so they simply decided to bring the food to them.
‘It’s been good here in Lake Orion – we really like the personality of the people out here,? said Sam Abdallah. ‘We’ve had a good turnout. It’s been very busy.?
Both Abdallahs recommended a number of dishes, including their wide array of Mediterranean and Lebanese style food. Tabouli, schwarmas, hummus, kabobs, and grape leaves can all be found at Kabob Grill.
Meanwhile, Leo’s and Broadway Grill feature a more diner-style variety of food, with Broadway more upscale and offering Italian choices, a full bar and more.
‘We put in a lot more specials that we used to have before,? said the owner of Leo’s. ‘We used to have Leo’s Coney Island menus, but now our menus are Leo’s family dining, so we’re happy to have a few new things to offer.?
Kabob Grill is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mon. – Sat. and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. They can be reached at (248) 690-9292 and offer delivery, carryout, 160 person capacity, catering and parties.
Leo’s can is open from 6-10 everyday and is considering 24-hour service during the summer on Thurs. through Sat. They can be reached at (248) 693-8283.
Broadway Grille is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mon. through Fri., and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. They can be reached at (248) 690-9141.