January 2019

The two owners of Luna Grill are motivated by their passion for Mediterranean food and family. And when they describe their restaurant chain as consisting of “family,” they’re not exaggerating.

Sean and Maria Pourteymour, who launched Luna Grill in 2004, which is based in San Diego, California, are husband and wife. Sean serves as CEO, and Maria as chief cuisine officer. Maria’s parents ran a Greek restaurant, and Sean’s family was Iranian, which led to fusing Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors into their dishes such as chicken kabab plate, flat-cut chicken plate and gyro wraps.

Luna Grill has grown to 50 outlets, located mostly in Southern California and the Dallas/Fort Worth area. All locations are company-owned; none is franchised. In the research firm’s Technomic’s ranking of the top 500 restaurant chains in the U.S., Luna Grill’s revenue spiked 38% from 2016 to 2017. It offers fast casual food, with an average check price of $12 a person.

Read the full article by Forbes with Q&A featuring Sean Pourteymour here.