Moona Expands to Central Square with a New Flagship Location Featuring an Expanded Dining Room, Café, Lounge, and All-Day Experience

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Moona, the beloved Inman Square restaurant known for its bold Levantine flavors, is expanding with a second location at 750 Main Street in Cambridge's Central Square inside the MIT Engine Building. This new iteration builds on Moona's Inman Square legacy, tripling the footprint and adding a new layer of creative energy.

Restaurant itself will include a total of 97 seats comprised of a 57-seat dining room, 10-seat bar, and 30-seat café by day, lounge by night that can also host private events for groups of 10 to 30 guests. Dinner service will feature a bread & dip section, mezze, and large-format dishes for groups, whole fish, lamb, and other shared plates; encouraging communal dining in the Levantine tradition. The wine list will emphasize Lebanese, Greek, and Georgian producers, while the bar program will spotlight seasonal cocktails and mocktails incorporating Levantine flavors.

By day, Sawa Café ("sawa" meaning "together"), a fast-casual, community-oriented space for breakfast and lunch designed for people who want to linger, work, and connect. Guests can expect a unique croissant program delivering a rotating selection of sweet and savory Viennoiserie featuring Levantine-inspired flavors.

In addition to Lebanese-influenced pastries, breakfast, and lunch, Sawa Café will introduce Boston's first Lebanese soft-serve program, featuring seasonally rotating flavors such as preserved lemon and salted tahini, topped with confitures, crunchy toppings, sweet and tart sauces, curds, chocolate bites, and more. Lunch will feature sandwiches that are twists on Lebanese classics, along with salads, dips, mezze, and sweet and savory pastries utilizing Lebanese pantry (mouneh) items. 

By night, the cafe space transitions into Sahra Lounge ("sahra" meaning "night out"), a more convivial experience that evokes the warmth and energy of a Beirut speakeasy: a relaxed setting where guests can enjoy a drink and a small bite or even ask for a backgammon table. Designed as a counterpoint to the daytime café, Sahra Lounge invites guests to unwind without the formality of a full meal, perhaps just a cocktail and a bowl of olives. 

"Moona has always been about the pantry, which preserves fresh local ingredients for use year-round" says owner, Mohamad El Zein. "We're continuing to dive deeper into sourcing spices, olives, molasses, oils, tweaking spice blends, pickling, nuts, honeys, and so much more. It's not just the food at the table that's enjoyable, it's also everything else at the table. That's where we come in, to brighten the day!"

The opening of Moona's new Central Square location brings together a powerhouse team of hospitality professionals. At the helm is owner Mohamad El Zein, whose vision continues to define Moona's evolution from its Inman Square roots. He is joined by Executive Chef Scott Ryan, a North Shore native who has refined his culinary vision across the country. His experience includes Boston-area institutions Sofra and Harvest; Washington, D.C.'s acclaimed Mockingbird Hill, honored by Bon Appétit among its "50 Best New Restaurants in America", and Denver's Clayton Hotel & Members Club, where he directed five dining outlets that earned a Michelin Key.

Overseeing the front of house is General Manager Robert Taylor, formerly of Benedetto. A certified sommelier and Best of Boston "Wine Program" winner, he is known for his intuitive hospitality and deep wine knowledge. The creative spirit behind the pastry program is Pastry Chef Giselle Miller, whose career includes time at Barbara Lynch's Menton and a James Beard Award runner-up distinction.

Events and Catering Director Kaila Fong brings a background in menu development from her tenure at Weco, while Beverage Director Hassan Sawly, previously of Chickadee, as well as, Les Sablons with Garrett Harker and Jackson Cannon leads the restaurant's thoughtful, dynamic beverage program.

Together, this team represents the next chapter of Moona, balancing experience, innovation, and a shared passion for hospitality.

Moona will open in December 2025 hosting dinner service first. The projected opening hours will be 5:00PM – 9:00PM Tuesday – Thursday and 5:00PM – 10:00PM on Friday and Saturday with the restaurant closed on Sunday and Monday. Additional hours to be announced.

The current location of Moona at 243 Hampshire Street in Cambridge, MA will continue to operate with eventual plans for the Central Square location to be the sole flagship location. For more information on Moona, please visit: https://www.moonarestaurant.com/

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SOURCE Moona