Neighbors want Eatzi's, but does Eatzi's want Lakewood?

From the Eatzi’s website

After Ali Baba Mediterranean Grill in Lakewood closed its doors for good in December, we asked neighbors what restaurant/store they would like to see take over Ali Baba’s space.

There were a lot of good suggestions (to see them, view the comment section on this web post), and a good handful of those asked for Eatzi’s Market & Bakery.

Eatzi’s, for those who don’t know, is known for its European-market style, chef-crafted meals.

Two years ago, Eatzi’s CEO Adam Romo told us he had been looking for a place in Lakewood and checked into a location at Gaston-Abrams’ Lakewood Shopping Center.

“We would love to be in Lakewood. It’s a great area,” he said at the time.

So we reached out to Romo to see if the Ali Baba space would be a good fit for Eatzi’s, but Romo says Eatzi’s isn’t interested.

“At this time we are focused, and further down the path, with other potential locations,” he says. “We love the Lakewood area and hope to revisit potential sites in the future.”

The biggest challenge for Romo two years ago — and, likely, still — was parking. Because of the nature of the stores, from which customers pick up ready-made meals to take home — ample parking is a must, and something the Lakewood Shopping Center just doesn’t offer.