Another Middle Eastern dine in Costa Mesa

Paul Clinton

The hub of commerce, the arts and fine dining can now look forward to

its third Persian restaurant.

Owners of Ferdussi Grill in Santa Ana announced they will bring

their eatery to the area to join Darya in the South Coast Village

Plaza and Orchid Restaurant at 3033 Bristol St.

They have signed a lease to occupy the former Arnie’s Manhattan

Restaurant & Delicatessen; beginning July 1, Ferdussi Grill will

serve Persian cuisine out of the building at the intersection of

Bristol and Bear streets.

“The exposure is a lot better than the location we’re in now,”

owner Seyed Miremadi said. “It will be a very trendy design.”

Miremadi signed a deal with landlord John Saunders shortly after

Arnie’s closed in January. Arnie’s owners left the location after

they decided to consolidate the deli with their second Newport Beach

location at 1660 Dove St.

Arnie’s owner, Elias Challita, said long hours from 13 years in

the restaurant business had taken its toll on his family life.

Challita, who lives in Costa Mesa, wants to spend more time with his

wife and children.

“I decided to shut it down,” Challita said about the decision to

close Arnie’s. “The rent is high. For the time I’m putting in and the

rent, I figured it’s not worth my time anymore.”

Challita said he paid $7,200 per month for the 4,400 square feet

of space. He said “about 90%” of his Costa Mesa customers have

migrated to the Newport Beach deli to buy their sandwiches, soup and

salads.

Putting aside Miremadi’s optimism about the location, others say

it is somewhat isolated from potential patrons, which could present

an obstacle.

“It’s not pedestrian friendly,” said Ed Fawcett, the president of

the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce. “It doesn’t have the foot

traffic.”

Arnie’s wasn’t able to attract the same number of walk-by

customers as Jerry’s Famous Deli or Kaplan’s Deli, Fawcett said.

Persian food, however, is a specialty and can be successful, he

added.

Before he can reopen the restaurant, Miremadi said he needs to

finish an overhaul. He’ll increase seating capacity to 300, he said,

and move the entrance from the side to the front.

The hours of operations will stay the same. Ferdussi will stay

open until 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends. Miremadi,

who owns two other restaurants in Orange County, is in the midst of

transferring his liquor license to the new location.