Nicholas Restaurant

Nicholas Restaurant is a family-operated Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurant chain based in the Portland metropolitan area of Oregon. The business was founded in 1987 by Nicholas and Linda Dibe, Lebanese immigrants who had fled Beirut in 1982 with their four young daughters and settled in Portland. Nicholas invested his entire pension in opening the restaurant, which initially served an American-leaning menu that included pizza and calzones. The family gradually introduced Lebanese dishes they had grown up with and preferred to cook at home. Those additions, including hummus and kebabs, became increasingly popular and eventually established Nicholas as a destination for Lebanese food in Portland. The restaurant is regarded as one of the Portland area's oldest Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurant businesses. Rather than developing as a conventional national chain, Nicholas has remained closely tied to the Dibe family. Its locations have been operated by different members of the extended family, and ownership later passed to Hilda Dibe, one of Nicholas and Linda's daughters. The family structure gives the brand a distinct home-style identity, with continuity across locations while allowing individual restaurants to be managed by relatives. Nicholas operates several restaurants in the Portland area and also has a location in Gresham. Its core offer centers on Lebanese and broader Middle Eastern comfort food, particularly hummus, kebabs, and other dishes associated with family-style dining. Local coverage has characterized the restaurant as a dependable, long-running part of Portland's food culture, emphasizing its everyday accessibility and consistency rather than luxury positioning. The brand's appeal is built around familiar recipes, generous portions, casual service, and a sense of continuity accumulated over decades. In 2020, Nicholas announced plans to relocate its flagship restaurant to 1109 Southeast Madison Street in Portland's Buckman neighborhood. The new location opened in April 2021 and added a full bar, representing a physical expansion and an updated hospitality format while retaining the restaurant's Lebanese culinary focus. The move reflected the brand's continued operation and investment in its flagship presence during a period of major disruption for the restaurant industry. Nicholas has received repeated recognition in Willamette Week's annual Best of Portland readers' poll. It won the Best Mediterranean Restaurant category in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. The awards and local critical attention reinforce its position as a durable Portland institution rather than a rapidly expanding restaurant concept. The brand remains active as a privately operated, family-connected restaurant business serving the Portland metropolitan market.

Nicholas Restaurant was established in 1987 by Nicholas and Linda Dibe, Lebanese immigrants who had moved to Portland after fleeing Beirut in 1982. They arrived with their four young daughters and spent the following years building a new life in Oregon. Five years after immigrating, Nicholas committed his entire pension to opening the restaurant. The first menu was not exclusively Lebanese: pizza and calzones were among the original offerings, reflecting the practical evolution of a new immigrant-owned restaurant serving its local market. The Dibes subsequently began adding Lebanese dishes that reflected their own culinary traditions and preferences. Customers responded positively to the new menu, and the restaurant's identity shifted toward Lebanese and Middle Eastern food. Hummus, kebabs, and other homestyle dishes became central to the business. Over time, Nicholas developed a reputation as one of the Portland area's oldest Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurants and became associated with dependable, casual dining rather than formal or highly experimental cuisine. The business remained family-connected as it expanded beyond its first restaurant. Different locations were operated by members of the extended Dibe family, preserving a shared name and culinary tradition while distributing day-to-day responsibility among relatives. Hilda Dibe, one of Nicholas and Linda's daughters, later became the owner. This succession reinforced the restaurant's status as a multigenerational local business rather than a chain controlled by an outside hospitality group. Nicholas operates multiple restaurants in the Portland metropolitan area and also has a presence in Gresham. Its growth has been regional and measured, with the brand remaining focused on the communities surrounding Portland instead of pursuing national expansion. Local descriptions have emphasized the restaurant's role as a familiar Lebanese kitchen for everyday meals, with home-style hummus and kebabs among its most recognizable offerings. In 2020, the company announced plans to relocate its flagship restaurant to 1109 Southeast Madison Street in Portland's Buckman neighborhood. The new site opened in April 2021 and included a full bar. The relocation updated the flagship's setting and beverage program while maintaining the restaurant's established Lebanese orientation. It was an important operational decision because it represented continued investment in the core Portland location and a refreshed format for the next phase of the business. The restaurant has also built a strong local reputation. Willamette Week's Best of Portland readers' poll named Nicholas Best Mediterranean Restaurant in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. These repeated recognitions reflect sustained customer awareness over several decades. Nicholas remains an active, privately operated family restaurant chain serving the Portland metropolitan area and Gresham.

• 2021

  Relocated flagship opens

  [1]Nicholas Restauranten.wikipedia.org

  The new flagship opens at 1109 Southeast Madison Street with a full bar.

• 2020

  Flagship relocation announced

  [1]Nicholas Restauranten.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant announces plans to move its flagship to Southeast Madison Street in Portland's Buckman neighborhood.

• 1987

  Nicholas Restaurant is founded

  [1]Nicholas Restauranten.wikipedia.org

  Nicholas and Linda Dibe open the first Nicholas Restaurant after Nicholas invests his pension in the business.

• 1982

  The Dibe family immigrates to Portland

  [1]Nicholas Restauranten.wikipedia.org

  Nicholas and Linda Dibe flee Beirut, Lebanon, and move to Portland with their four daughters.

A long-running, family-operated Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurant brand positioned around homestyle cooking, accessible everyday dining, and Portland community heritage.

• Lebanese appetizers

  Hummus and mezze

  Nicholas is particularly associated with homestyle hummus and other Lebanese-style small plates. These offerings form an important part of the restaurant's everyday dining identity and are frequently highlighted in local descriptions of the brand.

• Middle Eastern main courses

  Kebabs and grilled dishes

  Kebabs and related grilled dishes are among Nicholas Restaurant's signature savory offerings. They represent the brand's emphasis on accessible Lebanese and Middle Eastern comfort food served in a casual, family-oriented restaurant environment.

• Original restaurant menu · 1987

  Pizza and calzones

  Pizza and calzones were part of the original menu when the Dibes opened Nicholas in 1987. The restaurant later broadened its Lebanese offering, which became the defining focus of the brand.

• Beverage service · 2021

  Full bar

  The relocated flagship opened in 2021 with a full bar, extending the restaurant's hospitality format beyond food service while supporting its established casual-dining proposition.

• 2020

  Relocation of the flagship restaurantStrategy

  Background

  Nicholas sought to move its flagship restaurant within Portland while maintaining its role as the brand's central local location.

  Action taken

  The company announced a move to 1109 Southeast Madison Street in the Buckman neighborhood, targeting an opening in 2021.

  Aftermath

  The new location opened in April 2021 with a full bar, providing an updated flagship format.

  Source

1. 1Nicholas Restauranten.wikipedia.org