Barcelona DC

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Mediterranean
  • Fira de Barcelona
  • Catalonia
  • Global Wealth
  • Saving Investment

Barcelona DC

Header Banner

Barcelona DC

  • Home
  • Mediterranean
  • Fira de Barcelona
  • Catalonia
  • Global Wealth
  • Saving Investment
Mediterranean
Home›Mediterranean›Tripoli owners make ‘difficult decision’ to move Mediterranean grill

Tripoli owners make ‘difficult decision’ to move Mediterranean grill

By Clint Kennedy
June 23, 2022
0
0

Since opening in September 2011, the owners of the Mediterranean Grill and Coffee Shop in Tripoli have adapted their menu, added a cafe and weathered a pandemic. Throughout the pivots, serving as a bridge connecting East and West remains a priority. Now, as Tripoli approaches 11 years in business, the restaurant will once again move, this time from the Lackland area to the outside of the loop.

Howaida Werfelli, co-owner of Tripoli’s with her brothers Haitham Werfelli and Hesham Werfelli as well as Adam Hussein, will move the restaurant to the Alamo Ranch area by the fall. Howaida Werfelli cites a number of reasons for moving the restaurant from its current location at 322 Valley Hi Drive to 1726 Alamo Ranch, but narrows to create a more conducive path for Tripoli’s growth into the city.

“We are limited to what we can do (at the current location),” she says. “In order to continue to grow and for our community support to be greater than what it is, we need to make these tough decisions.”

Tripoli’s, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Courtesy, Marissa Simon Photo/@marissasimonphoto

The owner says philanthropy is important to the business. Ensuring Tripoli’s future success means they can continue to donate to organizations such as the San Antonio Food Bank, area PTA groups and local refugee organizations, she adds.

The southwest side will not be without Tripoli permanently. Howaida Werfelli says a second location and a return to District 4 is part of their multi-year framework. She says Councilor Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia has supported the brand throughout her tenure and is connecting the Tripoli team with potential sites in the neighborhood where the restaurant can expand in years to come.

Tripoli's, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Tripoli’s, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Courtesy, Marissa Simon Photo/@marissasimonphoto

Tripoli's, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Tripoli’s, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Courtesy, Marissa Simon Photo/@marissasimonphoto

As the owners prepare for their 11-mile move, the owners reflect on the restaurant’s impact on San Antonio so far. Howaida Werfelli says they’ve seen their regulars’ families grow. She says one of their favorite interactions is with the serving military who work at nearby Joint Base San Antonio.

“A lot of them have been deployed, so they’ve traveled to those areas where we’re trying to bring that culture from,” she adds.

Tripoli's, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Tripoli’s, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Courtesy, Marissa Simon Photo/@marissasimonphoto

The owner says hearing the “happy stories” they share is a “good” contrast to the experiences that are usually tied to deployments.

“So when we hear that they’ve been able to interact with people and learn to love the culture, the language, and the food, that’s what I know,” Howaida Werfelli says. “I grew up with this culture and I know how generous Arabs are and how enthusiastic we are about feeding people and helping people. When they come back and tell us it’s is like, ‘OK, there’s hope. There’s hope that the good of our culture remains.'”

Tripoli's, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Tripoli’s, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Courtesy, Marissa Simon Photo/@marissasimonphoto

Howaida Werfelli says top reviews are where customers take pride in the authenticity of their food. She says not everyone is so familiar with cooking and the responsibility of introducing customers to a new part of the world is not beyond her. She laughs as she recalls their early years, when she felt San Antonio was less willing to explore cooking, but notices a change in recent years.

“We’ve seen it change, it’s one of those things where I laugh inside,” she laughs.

Tripoli's, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Tripoli’s, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Courtesy, Marissa Simon Photo/@marissasimonphoto

She says that during the genesis of Tripoli, the menu featured more food items that were “essentially” Libyan. Some closing times ended with intact food being thrown away.

“They didn’t want things they didn’t know,” says Howaida Werfelli. “Then all of a sudden I had people saying ‘How do you have no tabbouleh.’ So here we go back to the full menu that we had when we started, but San Antonio wasn’t ready at that time.”

Tripoli's, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Tripoli’s, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Courtesy, Marissa Simon Photo/@marissasimonphoto

Tripoli's, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Tripoli’s, which opened in 2011 on the southwest side, is moving to Alamo Ranch in the fall.

Courtesy, Marissa Simon Photo/@marissasimonphoto

Howaida Werfelli looks forward to continuing to serve as an ambassador for new flavors in the space to come. She says the Alamo Ranch restaurant will be similar in size to the current restaurant, but Tripoli’s at Town Center will offer a patio, which has become a relevant amenity in the pandemic era. The owners have been part of the new build from scratch and are working closely with Tammy Puente and Bill Walker of locally owned Ace Mart to ensure the new restaurant meets the needs of bringing Tripoli into its next time. Howaida Werfelli says the new excavations will give Tripoli the opportunity to expand the menu and offer a “slightly more robust” menu with more complex dishes.

“It’s always comforting to know that you have a base that will follow you,” she says. “I’m excited about the growth and I’m excited for San Antonio to experience it.”


The remains of Tripoli are open at its original location, 322 Valley Hi Drive.

Related posts:

  1. Saipem companions with Hyperion Programs Engineering within the Japanese Mediterranean
  2. Mediterranean: 5 migrants useless, a whole lot returned to Libya
  3. Small magnitude 3.2 earthquake hits 24 miles southeast of Duncan, Oklahoma, USA within the early morning / Volcano
  4. AP PHOTOS: In quest of solitude throughout a pandemic Belgium One Mediterranean Antwerp

Recent Posts

  • It’s a draw…or is it?
  • Israeli spyware company works with 22 customers in 12 EU countries – Middle East Monitor
  • Citibank unveils Mid-Year Outlook 2022 and forecast for the second half of 2022 during which the global economy will continue to face challenges, with continued inflation, oil price pressure and supply chain imbalance
  • Sayani Gupta shows off her post-Mediterranean vacation glow in a neon green jacket and white outfit for the Darlings movie event.
  • ‘The New Normal’: How Europe is being hit by a climate-induced drought crisis | Drought

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • July 2018
  • April 2018
  • December 2017
  • September 2017
  • May 2016
  • February 2014

Categories

  • Catalonia
  • Fira de Barcelona
  • Global Wealth
  • Mediterranean
  • Saving Investment
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions