When Maggie Howell and Christine Dowd purchased Mediterranean Imports, Deli & Gastro Goods in December 2020, they were coming off of a major loss.
They had closed their family catering business in early 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aunt Pitypat’s Catering had been a mainstay in the Oklahoma City metro for more than forty years, but the pandemic put a stop to the weddings and corporate events that had been their bread and butter.
“There was no sign of large-scale catering coming back anytime soon, so we made the very sad decision to close,” Howell said. They took some time to rest while deciding what to do next, and during that time, they learned that another Oklahoma City treasure was up for sale.
Locally owned by the Asal family, the small deli and grocery store had been in business since 1981. Known for Mediterranean cooking essentials and a unique assortment of specialty deli meats and cheeses, the shop served as a connection point for the city’s international community and an institution in the local food scene—even when there wasn’t much of a scene to speak of.
In 2020, the Asals were looking for the perfect people to pass the torch to, and the experienced trio of food professionals fit the bill.With backgrounds in both catering and restaurants, those parts of the business came naturally to the new team. However, the imported grocery store nestled within the small building was more of a challenge. “The purchasing—that was really the big learning curve for us,” explained Howell.
Chef Christine Dowd trained extensively with Asal to learn about the complicated logistics, vendor relations and purchasing challenges that come with sourcing imported foodstuffs. “We had not dealt with direct logistics or trucking. But here, you have items coming from the East Coast, the West Coast, or Houston, or they are shipping directly.”
While Asal was originally Palestinian from Nazareth and deeply connected to Oklahoma City’s Greek and Middle Eastern communities, the new owners needed time to build trust with long-standing customers and understand the cultural nuances. “We just tried to be open to everyone’s needs, and our customers knew we were still learning. There were items they were asking for that we had never heard of, or maybe we had only ever heard it referred to as something else, so we would look it up together. Thank goodness for Google,” Howell laughed. “ People were just so lovely and patient with us learning and growing. Unexpectedly, it has turned out to be one of the most beautiful parts of the work.”
The grocery business is thriving despite current events. “Tariffs and supply chain issues are impacting specialty item prices, especially cheeses and olive oil,” said Howell. “Whatever price comes to us, we always keep our standard markup.” If their price goes down, so too does the price to the customer. “We had a customer the other day who regularly buys these cans of Valbreso feta from France, and he’s like, ‘This is actually less than when I bought it last time.’”
At the deli counter, everything is cut to order, so you can get as much or as little as you want. With more than 150 imported meats and cheeses, if you want it, they probably have it.
For all the learnings that have come on the grocery side, there have also been some incredible opportunities born out of the new owners’ expertise in the catering space. The team enhanced catering services, choosing to focus on casual, drop-off meals while maintaining quality. As a result, this part of the business has expanded significantly. The menu is perfectly positioned for the zeitgeist, with a cuisine that naturally lends itself to health-conscious fare that can easily be served gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan. Dietary restrictions and preferences are not an afterthought; they are simply inherent to a Mediterranean diet.
The catering menu includes popular Mediterranean bowls, kebabs, customizable gyro bars, chip-and-dip trays, as well as handmade desserts. Those who remember Aunt Pitypat’s will be happy to know the legendary lemon bars are alive and well on the catering menu, thanks to an in-house pastry chef.
“There are a lot of great catering options, but not all of them are as fresh and cleanly made. We make hummus two and three times a day in small batches; every sauce is made daily,” said Howell. Customizable charcuterie boards are also available, tailored to audience and event needs.
And then, there are the grazing tables. If you’re not familiar with the concept, think of a charcuterie board on crack. They are so impressive that they can serve as both buffet and centerpiece. Guests mingle as they craft their perfect plate of meats, cheeses, olives, nuts, dried fruits, crackers and breads, veggies, hummus, specialty mustards, jams, and more. The small team recently put together a grazing table for 400 guests, measuring 24 feet in length. The variety is staggering, the execution is impressive, and the scale is wild. The team asked me to reassure readers that they are also happy to put together smaller grazing tables.
Under Chef Dowd, the brick-and-mortar restaurant has also flourished. Beloved regulars can always find their favorites, which Dowd has mastered. But it is the daily specials that have set the business apart, winning the respect of longtime customers and attracting new diners. Every day, ten fresh salads are offered, and of those, eight are vegan. All desserts are made in-house, including gluten-free options and seasonal specials.
“The main thing that sets us apart is Chef Christine,” said Howell. “She makes a daily special. Many of those are longtime favorites that we’ve just tweaked because they’re so beloved. But she does a special every Thursday. Recently, we had all this fresh okra, and she whipped up a delicious Moroccan beef stew with okra and olives. Christine just has that gift—something just a little special that tweaks it in a direction that helps keep us relevant.”
The food business can be a tough one, but these resilient women have taken the challenges head-on. Not only have they kept an important institution alive, they have bolstered revenue streams to further protect the little deli that could. For this tenacious trio, the winding road led them to exactly the right place at the right time.