The address of the upcoming location has been updated
Moby Dick has signed on to join FiveGuys, Chipotle, Java Nation, and more at the Kensington Shopping Center, per Danny Rubin of WashUrban.
Moby Dick will be taking over the space that is currently home to Tumbleweed at 10506A Connecticut Ave. The Persian kabob chain recently opened its 26th restaurant overall and 7th in Montgomery County in North Bethesda. Moby Dick has also signed on to be a part of the redeveloped Burtonsville Crossing shopping center.
Founder Mike Daryoush emigrated to the United States from Iran in 1975. He opened a small sandwich shop in 1987 in Bethesda, Maryland, serving a few Middle Eastern dishes. He changed to a Persian menu and added a clay oven in 1989. The name references one of the biggest kabob joints in Tehran, which was right near the American Embassy during the Shah’s time. It was called Moby Dick, apparently because the owner really liked the book. Daryoush passed away on May 9, 2019, only a week after the chain’s 30th anniversary.
“The Moby Dick House of Kabob story is not unlike many other great ‘realize the American dream’ stories: have an idea, work hard to make it happen, create value for others, and your idea matures into a successful venture. Through it all, Moby Dick continues to be unyielding in the belief of “never cutting corners.” This is the inspiration behind the kabobs, gyros, falafel, baklava, and our other food items with the character that you love and crave.”