Popular California Restaurant Chain Expanding to Las Vegas Strip

Tourists searching for a healthy meal on the Las Vegas Strip will find a new dining option arriving on to the popular winter destination.

Panini Kabob Grill, a Mediterranean restaurant group known for its charbroiled platters and fresh salads, plans to open its first location outside California.

By expanding into Nevada, the brand offers vacationers an alternative to heavy buffet and steakhouse dining while establishing a prominent presence in a major global tourism hub.

Panini Kabob Grill Adds Healthy Dining at Fashion Show Mall

Founded in Corona Del Mar, the restaurant chain built its culinary reputation on a health-focused menu centered around charbroiled kabob platters, salads, and sandwiches. Guests recognize the expanding brand by its distinct bucking horse logo.

CEO and founder Mike Rafipoor targets a December or January opening for the new Nevada outpost. The company secured a commercial space on the Las Vegas Strip at the Fashion Show mall, situated across from the Wynn hotel and casino.

Panini joins other Southern California food brands making recent regional debuts, such as Los Angeles pastrami purveyor The Hat.

Las Vegas often serves as a proving ground for restaurant businesses aiming to grow their profiles. The city provides operators with access to global tourism, opportunities for large-scale branding, and a growing independent food scene.

California Chain Prepares Mediterranean Menu for Nevada

Panini Kabob Grill operates 34 locations across Southern California, spanning from Bakersfield down to San Diego. The company maintains an ambitious growth pace, having opened 10 locations in total throughout 2024 and 2025, relying on an in-house construction team to build each site.

Recent regional additions include a sixth San Diego restaurant in February and a September 9 opening at the sprawling Hollywood Park mixed-use development near SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Current customer demand across the restaurant portfolio requires significant food preparation. As of 2025, the existing outposts achieved notable production milestones:

• Serving a combined 114,000 charbroiled kabobs a week

• Totaling nearly 6 million kabob pieces per year

Maintaining this high output volume demonstrates the operational capacity Panini brings to its upcoming Nevada location. The expansion move also supports the company’s long-term financial and operational goals.

“Since Nevada is a neighboring state to California, it’s easier to have infrastructure built,” Rafipoor told SFGATE regarding the decision to target the city. “Plus, we’re planning to go public in a few years, and I’ve been told by Goldman Sachs and everyone else that we’ll get a bigger valuation if we open in other states.”

Looking ahead, the restaurant group has additional locations in the works for Downey, Valencia, Downtown Los Angeles, and the Miracle Mile neighborhood.

The leadership team is also eyeing potential Northern California markets, including San Mateo and Walnut Creek, as part of its ongoing expansion efforts.

This story was originally published by TravelHost on Sep 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Dining section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.