Khuan-Yu Hall, Contributing Photographer

After Salsa Fresca closed its doors in August, Broadway Kitchen moved into its former location on Broadway Street, bringing a fusion of American, Mediterranean and Moroccan flavors.

Broadway Kitchen opened on Dec. 12 next to Campus Customs and offers a wide variety of options. On one side of the menu are typical mainstays of American cuisine: burgers, sandwiches, veggie burgers and grilled cheese. On the other side, there is a build-your-own-bowl option where clients can choose bases including saffron rice and falafel and toppings such as  tzatziki and red pepper hummus.

 Owner Meryem Hanzal, originally from Morocco, came up with the menu and idea for the restaurant by taking inspiration from recipes that her family has developed over generations.

“My whole family works in this field,” Hanzal told the News. “It was my dream as a kid to own a restaurant. I wanted to have everything fresh, to have Mediterranean and Moroccan food.”

Hanzal had long wanted to create a restaurant like Broadway Kitchen. Waiting for the opportunity to achieve her vision, she had been closely watching the area around Yale, looking for the right location to open up. When Salsa Fresca left, she said she knew it was time to get started. 

Before Salsa Fresca, students and New Haveners dined at the Educated Burgher, which operated at the same spot on Broadway for 37 years. Knowing that there was a market for burgers on Broadway made Hanzal confident in her choice of location. She also hoped that the location would allow Broadway Kitchen’s fresh options to capitalize on the athlete and vegetarian segments of the Yale student body.

In the first month since opening, Hanzal said she and her team have had to learn a lot on the fly.

“Cleaning, deliveries, training. I have to do everything,” Hanzal said. “I have to teach my employees how to interact with customers, how to respond to dietary restrictions.”

Another challenge has been the amount of work required to provide the high quality of food that Hanzal insists on maintaining at Broadway Kitchen. According to Hanzal, all food is prepared from scratch each morning, with nothing frozen. Some items on the menu are fully made-to-order.

“I am not trying to make money,” Hanzal said. “I just want the customer to be happy. If we only make a few cents, that is okay.”

However, Hanzal has been able to receive support and advice from her brother-in-law Ahmed Gad, the owner of Pacifico and Villa Lulu. She said that the response from customers so far has been good, especially after students returned to campus. 

Hanzal shared her hopes that customers will think of Broadway Kitchen as their “home away from home,” where they can find “the kind of fresh and high-quality food that you get to eat at home.”

Students  have affirmed Hanzal’s predictions about the demand for a restaurant like Broadway Kitchen that offers both American staples and new flavors.

“I will go back because there are no other solid burgers around,” said Cannon Mueller ’25. 

Another student, Vismay Sharan ’25, ordered a chicken sandwich when he first visited Broadway Kitchen but regrets that he did not order one of the bowls. Sharan said he is planning to return and try some of the falafel soon.

“I liked how you can create your own bowl,” Sharan said. “That was a nice option.”

Broadway Kitchen is located at 51 Broadway St.