Vicky Kuharski, Staff Writer~
The latest restaurant slated to open in Lynchburg will be opening its doors on February 22. Rozana Mediterranean Grill will be located on Fort Avenue and will replace the former Sakura Japanese Steak and Seafood House.
The owner, Jamal Liftawi, previously helped open a Mediterranean restaurant in Roanoke, VA last October and has helped manage restaurants in other states as well.
In an interview with the News and Advance, Liftawi stated that he had always wanted to open his own restaurant, and he is excited to come to Lynchburg because he wants to “give the community a good experience and good-tasting food, and build a relationship with the community and give back to the community any way we can.”
A number of traditional Mediterranean style dishes will be served at Rozana. Some particular foods that the restaurant has disclosed as being on the menu include kabobs, lamb chops, shawarma sandwiches, stuffed grape leaves and falafel.
The restaurant will also be offering pre-packaged Mediterranean groceries for sale to the community for those that prefer to dine at home or on the go.
There have also been talks of adding a hookah lounge to the restaurant a few months after opening. Lynchburg has seen a few hookah bars attempt to gain footing in the area but never manage to gain traction. The area and its needs have grown, so the time could perhaps be ripe to make an attempt again. The restaurant is hopeful in opening their hookah lounge either in April or May of 2018.
Many Lynchburg locals seem excited at the prospect of having Mediterranean food available to them in the comments on social media surrounding Rozana. Be sure to keep up with them on Facebook and to check them out on Feb. 22.