Ghazal’s father is Italian and his mother is Lebanese. The restaurant’s top sellers include lasagna, shrimp cocktail and hummus, he said.
“Our cuisine, it's Sicilian style,” Ghazal said. “We have Greek salad. We have Caesar salad. We have hummus, which is Lebanese.”
Open since 2011, Zammitti’s serves wine, beer and cocktails, such as the limoncello lemon drop and the pomegranate martini. The restaurant's decor also pays homage to Ghazal’s heritage, such as the 500-year-old doors imported from Italy and a mural depicting the Mediterranean Sea in the entryway.
Zammitti’s is run by Ghazal and his daughter, Dana Ghazal, who serves as the restaurant’s general manager. Ghazal said he asked Dana to help him reopen the restaurant after Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017. The restaurant flooded under five feet of water, he said.
“It was ... stressful, tough,” Ghazal said. “Lots of loss of money. I lost almost 1,500 bottles of wine.”
Dana said getting to work with her father was the one good thing to result from Hurricane Harvey.
“I graduated in December of 2018, and we ... reopened in February 2019,” Dana said. “So [those] few months before the opening, I was able to help him with the finishing touches of, like, new construction, getting paperwork, just the final details of everything.”
An ongoing challenge for the restaurant has been finding people who want to work in the restaurant industry, Dana said, noting they have good retention for the staff they do have.
“Luckily, we do have good servers or loyal employees that like to work and are here with us,” she said.
Ghazal and Dana said they have many proud moments at the restaurant, including participating in Houston Restaurant Weeks and hosting events on their scenic outdoor patio. Overlooking Lake Houston, the patio serves as a stage for events, such as wine tastings, live music and social events.
Ghazal said his restaurant has survived for so long because of his attitude toward his customers. He makes sure to visit every table and speak with customers regularly while they’re dining.
“I am a firm believer of customer service. ... Without [customers'] support, I'd be history,” he said.
Zammitti's Italian Ristorante
1660 W. Lake Houston Parkway, Kingwood
281-361-7499
www.zammittis.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
