The proprietor of renowned Astoria food cart The King of Falafel and Shawarma is slated to open his first brick-and-mortar location at the end of January, as first reported by DNAinfo. Food cart master Freddy Zeideia will be serving an expanded menu at the 30-seat restaurant, including charcoal-grilled kebabs, hummus, and tabouli. A post to the King of Falafel's Facebook page touts a January 30 grand opening. The restaurant at 30-15 Broadway is just a block away from the original cart, which will still be operating.

Zeideia has been working in food since he opened his first cart close to 15 years ago, a project he started after he quit driving a cab. In 2010, he won a Vendy award for his falafel and shawarma. He makes the white sauce, tahini, and hot sauce from scratch, and the best seller is the chicken platter, made with boneless chicken thighs that are marinated overnight.