International Food Mart Opens Middle Eastern Restaurant in Dunedin

Ghada Gould strives to bring a quick, healthy, made-from-scratch alternative to an area of Dunedin surrounded by fast-food joints. 

“What I wanted to do was [offer] something fast with really good prices but [also] very healthy. That’s what we’re about,” Gould said.

Gould, owner of International Food Mart on Overcash Drive, recently expanded her grocery store to include a restaurant. Her kitchen can also accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free diets.

Popular menu items include homemade yogurt, falafel, spinach pie, meat pie and baklava made fresh every week.

“There are no preservatives in anything we do so it won’t last very many days," she said. "We make everything fresh.”

Catering is another new addition to the market and restaurant. Gould has catered private parties ranging from 30 to 50 people and a wedding with 350 guests.

Depending on her catering success, Gould intends to partner with another kitchen to continue catering for groups that large.

Gould said she saw a need for Middle Eastern cuisine in Dunedin. Tampa offers the closest comparison to what she does.

“There aren’t any authentic places in the area. That’s why I decided to open the kitchen,” she said.

“So far we’re doing really well,” she said.