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Jerusalem Garden owner Ali Ramlawi stands outside the former Seva building in downtown Ann Arbor, where he plans to relocate his restaurant to later this year.

(Courtney Sacco | The Ann Arbor News)

Jerusalem Garden owner Ali Ramlawi is planning a major expansion this year, 27 years after the restaurant opened in downtown Ann Arbor.

Ramlawi finalized a lease Sunday to relocate Jerusalem Garden to the former Seva building at 314 E. Liberty St.

“The iron is hot and it’s time to strike,” Ramlawi said. “The place is open, it’s a beautiful location, it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity. This doesn’t happen very often, and we’re going to go for it.”

Ramlawi’s father, Ribhi, opened Jerusalem Garden in 1987 in a cramped 350-square-foot building at 307 S. Fifth Ave. Ramlawi took over the business in 1993 after his father died.

Jerusalem Garden expanded over time into 1,100 square feet to keep up with demand for the restaurant’s Middle Eastern menu, which Ramlawi describes as fresh, convenient and value-driven.

Still, Ramlawi said the Jerusalem Garden building is too cramped for both employees and diners, and he often has to turn customers away.

“Our biggest problem since day one has been space,” Ramlawi said. “This place became a great success early on. …We are wearing shoes right now that are two sizes too small and we have been for a while.”

To combat the space issue, Ali submitted plans to Ann Arbor's Historic District Commission in 2013 to construct an addition to the back of the Jerusalem Garden building that would add room for 54 seats in addition to a brand new roof for increased summer seating.

Ramlawi said his landlord later decided not to go through with those plans.

Ramlawi found the perfect solution when the Seva building —which is just around the corner from his restaurant — was vacated.

“Initially, I had a fondness for my place. I’ve been working here since I was 12-years-old, it’s like my home. The idea of leaving wasn’t my first choice, but after I exhausted the possibilities of doing any more here, we started exploring the idea of moving (around the corner).”

Seva relocated in March to the Westgate shopping center on Ann Arbor's west side. Increasing rental rates helped spur their decision to leave downtown, four decades after Seva opened in the VFW Hall building at 314 E. Liberty.

The Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, located in the basement of the building at 314 E. Liberty St., is preparing to move to South Fourth Avenue.

Colliers International Ann Arbor marketed the VFW Hall building for lease and negotiated the deal.

John Kinzinger, a representative for the VFW, said the group is excited to have Jerusalem Garden move into the building.

Ramlawi said the rent at the building, which was raised to market rate decades after Seva opened, is not a concern for him.

"We can do this, even with our current (sales) numbers. Even if we didn't do any more business, we could still support the overhead," he said.



Ramlawi leased the entire 8,500-square-foot building on East Liberty Street, and he plans to sublease the basement space to another tenant.

The move from South Fifth Avenue to East Liberty Street will happen sometime in the fourth quarter of 2014, Ramlawi said. Jerusalem Garden will stay open in its current location until it reopens on East Liberty.

Ramlawi said he’s working with the VFW Hall to make necessary repairs to the former Seva building.

Little will change about Jerusalem Garden in the move, except there will be more space for customers and employees. Ramlawi said he plans to double his staff to about 45 people.

“My desire is to keep it the same,” he said. “Keep it unpretentious, convenient, value-driven. Those are key, core beliefs of mine and I’m not going to sell out and try to be something we’re not currently.”

Ramlawi said he might expand the menu slightly, to include more authentic Palestinian cuisine. He also wants to extend the beverage program to include more fresh juices and smoothies.

“(Jerusalem Garden) is just a snapshot of the foods I grew up eating.”

A liquor license is not currently on the agenda, but Ramlawi said he might consider getting one in the future.

“I want to make sure business doesn’t need that to survive,” he said.

Twenty-one years after Ramlawi took over Jerusalem Garden on a “shoestring budget,” he said he’s excited, nervous and ready to take his business to the next level.

“I’m punching my ticket right now to get in to a situation where I can compete with the best of them. Being in here, it’s hard to compete based on our limitations,” he said.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Reach her at 734-623-2584, email her lizzyalfs@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter.