CONCORD, CALIFORNIA — One of downtown Concord’s most prominent vacant restaurant spaces is preparing for a new chapter, with a popular Bay Area Mediterranean restaurant chain moving into the former home of Lima.
Sultan’s Kebab, a growing Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant group with locations across the East Bay, is taking over 2151 Salvio Street, Suite I, directly on Todos Santos Plaza.
The restaurant will bring charcoal-grilled kebabs, shawarma, falafel and other Mediterranean specialties to a space that has remained vacant since Lima closed at the end of 2024.
The company continues to list Concord as “Coming Soon” on its official website. Although an exact opening date has not been announced, the restaurant is expected to open in the coming months.
We stopped by and confirmed that a liquor license transfer is underway and signs for Sultan’s Kabab are in the windows.
A Popular East Bay Restaurant Is Expanding
Sultan’s Kebab is already familiar to diners in several Bay Area cities.
The locally grown restaurant group operates locations in Pleasanton, Danville, Livermore and Campbell, with additional restaurants planned for Concord and Saratoga.
Its Danville location, at 480 San Ramon Valley Boulevard, opened in 2017, making the new Concord restaurant its second Contra Costa County location.
The company specializes in Turkish and Mediterranean cooking, particularly charcoal-grilled meats served with rice, fresh bread, vegetables and traditional sauces.
Its menu includes chicken, beef and lamb kebabs, along with shawarma, kofte, falafel, salads, wraps and rice bowls. Other offerings at existing restaurants include hummus, mezze platters, garlic feta fries, Turkish breads and baklava.
Vegetarian options are available, and the restaurant says its meats are 100% halal.
The restaurant group traces its roots to 2002. Owner Fatih Ulas has described the business as a tribute to his late father, Sultan Ulas, whose Turkish heritage and love of cooking helped inspire the concept.
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What to Expect at the Concord Location
The new restaurant is expected to offer both indoor dining and an outdoor patio overlooking Todos Santos Plaza.
That patio could become a major attraction, particularly during downtown Concord’s popular farmers markets, summer concerts and community festivals.
Published plans call for Sultan’s Kebab to operate daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., although final operating hours have not yet been confirmed.
The restaurant is also expected to offer takeout and catering.
Unlike Lima, which was known for its upscale Peruvian cuisine and cocktail program, Sultan’s Kebab will emphasize a more casual dining experience.
There is also evidence of progress toward opening.
According to public restaurant licensing records, an application for a full-service restaurant liquor license was filed for Sultan’s Kebab at 2151 Salvio Street, Suite I, on September 14, 2026.
Remembering Lima
For longtime Concord residents, the location carries considerable history.
Chef John Marquez opened Lima at Salvio Pacheco Square in late 2016, establishing the restaurant as a destination for Peruvian ceviche, seafood, lomo saltado and pisco cocktails.
The restaurant became a fixture of downtown Concord’s dining scene before closing permanently on December 31, 2024.
Its closure attracted widespread attention after Marquez said financial pressures, including expenses associated with settling a discrimination lawsuit involving a “Ladies’ Night” drinks promotion, contributed to the decision.
As ABC7 News reported, Marquez described the lawsuit settlement as a significant financial burden for the family-owned business.
The closure left a highly visible restaurant space vacant along one of downtown Concord’s busiest pedestrian corridors.
More Changes Around Todos Santos Plaza
Sultan’s Kebab is part of a broader wave of changes in downtown Concord’s restaurant scene.
Nearby, Blast & Brew has taken over the former E.J. Phair Brewing Company space at the corner of Grant and Salvio streets, within the same Salvio Pacheco Square development.
The two restaurant projects represent an opportunity to restore activity to storefronts that have been vacant for extended periods.
As of November 11, Sultan’s Kebab has not announced a specific opening date for its Concord restaurant.
More information, including menus and updates, is available at the Sultan’s Kebab website.
