Lulu's Swaps Mezze Platters for Toum Caesar Bowls in 2026 Relaunch

The East Bay restaurant is shifting to a counter-service model amid rising costs and changing customer spending habits.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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After opening as a mana'eesh pop-up during the pandemic, then expanding to a full-service Palestinian-Californian restaurant, Lulu in Albany is undergoing another transformation. Owner Mona Leena Michael is relaunching the restaurant as Lulu's Little Kitchen, a fast-casual counter-service concept serving toum Caesar salad bowls, braised lamb rice bowls, and roti wraps. The change comes as Michael says the restaurant has been breaking even or losing money each month due to rising costs and customers spending less on multi-dish meals.

Why it matters

Lulu's shift to a counter-service model reflects broader challenges facing the restaurant industry, as operators grapple with inflation, labor shortages, and changing consumer preferences. The transition also highlights how even successful restaurants like Lulu are having to adapt their business models to remain viable.

The details

Lulu's Little Kitchen will feature a streamlined menu focused on bowls and wraps, with popular items like the toum Caesar salad and knafeh pancakes still available. The new format will allow the restaurant to operate with a smaller staff, as Michael says the previous full-service model became unsustainable. The transition was further complicated by unexpected plumbing issues that forced a two-week closure, resulting in $80,000 to $100,000 in lost revenue.

  • Lulu first launched as the Mana'eesh Lady pop-up in Emeryville during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
  • Lulu opened its first brick-and-mortar location on Camelia Street in Berkeley in 2021.
  • In 2024, Lulu moved to a larger space on Solano Avenue in Albany, expanding its menu to include dinner.
  • Lulu's Little Kitchen will relaunch in the same Albany space on Saturday, February 21, 2026.

The players

Mona Leena Michael

The chef and owner of Lulu, who is overseeing the restaurant's transition to a counter-service model.

Lulu's Little Kitchen

The new fast-casual concept that will replace the full-service Lulu restaurant in Albany.

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What they’re saying

“We've been busy to the point where we still need all the staff that we have, but people are just spending less money.”

— Mona Leena Michael, Owner, Lulu (eater.com)

“Part of the reason why I put this change off for so long is because you have this guilt of 25 people's livelihoods that are depending on this restaurant right now. And it really, really fucking sucks to have to make these decisions of who's going to stay and who's going to go, and giving them enough notice.”

— Mona Leena Michael, Owner, Lulu (eater.com)

What’s next

Lulu's Little Kitchen will debut its new counter-service format on Saturday, February 21, 2026, and will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

The takeaway

Lulu's shift to a more affordable, counter-service model reflects the difficult decisions restaurant owners are having to make in the face of rising costs and changing consumer preferences. Even successful restaurants like Lulu are having to adapt their business models to remain viable, underscoring the broader challenges facing the industry.