The owners of Shish Kabab, a Mediterranean-style restaurant opening soon, hope to bring something new and fresh to the City of Troy.

“We hope to open up a restaurant and bring something different to Troy,” said Omar Ahmed, head chef at Shish Kabab. “I will make everything on a wood charcoal grill. Troy doesn’t use that style.”

Ahmed said that only one thing will be fried in the South Brundidge Street restaurant’s kitchen.

“We will have a small fryer for the fries because, here in America, all the people love friends,” Ahmed laughed. “Everything else will be on the grill.”

Ahmed has plenty of experience in the kitchen, having worked in Iraq with his father in his restaurant.

“I worked with my father for 15 years,” Ahmed said. “In Iraq, shish kabob and fish are so famous.”

And those are the types of foods that Shish Kabab plans to offer. Ahmed said that all of the meat used will be halal meet, meaning that all of the blood as been drained from the animal during the slaughtering process.

“It gives a different taste to the meat,” said Saad Abbas, owner of Shish Kabab. “It is healthy and tasty.”

Abbas is math and statistics professor at Troy University and said he hears students struggling to find reasonably priced food in the area.

“A problem that students have said that have is finding good food at a good price,” Abbas said. “We are tying to offer a nice, tasty and good amount of food with a nice price. When I say it has a low price, it does not affect the food quality.”

Abbas and Ahmed plan to serve students as well as the wider community.

“(We) hope to serve the entire community, but I would like to focus on the prize and quality of the food,” Abbas said.

The Shish Kabab duo is aware that the restaurant is different from anything else offered in Troy, but they are not afraid the reaction from the community.

“I think that because it is a new experience, we need to let them try the food,” Abbas said. “We are thinking about having free promotions because we believe that when they try it, they will love it.”

Shish Kabab will offer different discount programs, a Friday buffet and free meals for children on certain days of the week.

“Omar has good experience to bring the customers in,” Abbas said. “He was working in a restaurant that was trying to close. When Omar went to the restaurant, more people began to come because they were satisfied with the food he made. Because of his experience, I believe that he will be a success here.”

Abbas’ his management skills will work in his favor.

“I don’t have restaurant experience, but I have experience in management,” Abbas explained. “I used to have a shop in (Iraq). I am trying to improve my skills here, also.” With Ahmed’s restaurant experience and Abbas’ management skills, the two believe they have a success in the making.

“I would like to encourage people to come to this restaurant try the food and give their opinion about the food,” Abbas said. “It will be healthy and tasty foods, and I expect they will love it.”

Shish Kabab is planning to opening at the beginning of October. It will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.