While the pandemic has been an extreme challenge to the many restaurant owners of this city, the resilience they’ve shown in these trying times is finally beginning to pay off.
Sultan’s Market is one of Chicago’s go-to Middle Eastern restaurants. Founded by owner May Ramli in 1995 as a humble store and sandwich shop, Sultan’s Market initially offered guests typical Chicago fare like meatball sandwiches and polish sausages. Eventually, when May shared some of her homemade specialty hummus with her friends, the response was so positive that she wound up pivoting to the Middle Eastern concept we all recognize today.
Sultan’s Market defines itself as a place where “vegetarians, vegans, and carnivores are welcomed.” In operation for well over two decades, Sultan’s Market has earned three awards from The Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago 2020 awards, including Best Falafel, Best Middle Eastern Restaurant, and Best Bang For Your Buck. Offering an eclectic menu of baked pies, hummus, lentil soups, tabuli salad, as well as plenty of falafel and shawarma, Sultan’s Market truly has an option for every kind of guest.
Today, the popular restaurant operates three different locations across the city and is lead by May’s son, Shadi Ramli. While the team announced plans to expand over three years ago, the challenges incurred by the pandemic put those plans on a long hiatus. Thankfully, in a recent phone call with What Now Chicago, Shadi confirmed that their expansion plans are back on track.
The new expansion will see Sultan’s Market opening a fourth outpost at 1738 W 18th Street. Replacing the Nite Cap coffee bar that formerly occupied the space, Ramli’s new store will offer its traditionally eclectic mix of international groceries and freshly-cooked middle eastern delights. The salad bar has become an exceptionally popular feature of the store lately, and Shadi hopes to one day add a coffee and juice bar to the concept. While Shadi says that construction is moving slowly, he is hoping to be operational by the end of Spring. You can follow along on Sultan Market’s Instagram for daily updates as development progresses forwards.
