Amsterdam Falafelshop Is Expanding

(Franchise Buy) - By Brandon Benavides. Updated Sep 10, 2010

Amsterdam Falafelshop Is Expanding

Soon you can grab a falafel from Amsterdam Falafelshop (2425 18th Street NW) without being in the District. The popular Adams Morgan restaurant recently filed paperwork to become a franchise.

Falafelshops may soon open in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.  So if you have between $394,000 and $657,000 buried in the back yard and want to put it to good use, it's time to start digging.

The original restaurant was first opened six years ago by husband-and-wife team Scott and Arianne Bennett.

If by some chance you don't know what a falafel is, it is made from mashed chickpeas and is seasoned with coriander, cumin, and other spices.  It is formed into a ball and deep-fried much like a hush puppy. It is popular on the streets of Amsterdam and other European cities.

The Amsterdam Falafelshop has grown despite the sluggish economy -- and with the help of war veterans returning home, according to the company.

“We see them come into the restaurant all the time in their uniforms,” Scott Bennett said.

Why?  He said they had their first falafel in Bagdad, Kabul, Islamabad, Stuttgart and other cities where the falafel is popular.

“Apparently they tasted the falafel while over there, really like it, and want to eat it back here at home,” Bennett said.

Posted Monday, Sep 20, 2010 - 8:41 AM EST