Spitz is now open at 138 Park Road in West Hartford.

By Ronni Newton

The name alone is the first hint that Spitz Mediterranean Street Food can’t be neatly filed into a single category of eatery.

Now open in the former Plan b space on Park Road’s “restaurant row,” Spitz is a franchise that doesn’t feel like a franchise, a fast casual restaurant where you order at the bar but once you take your seat in the eclectically-decorated dining area filled with street art – or out on the dog-friendly patio – your food and drink is brought to you by servers that ensure your needs are met and you get that full service feel. And yes, there’s a bar that (as soon as the liquor permit is approved, which should be in a matter of days) will be offering a selection of local beers as well as curated wines, sangria, and signature cocktails.

The word “spitz” sounds decidedly German, and some of the menu items have German names and are even properly spelled with an umlaut, but then there’s the “Mediterranean” part of the name, and a menu that includes Greek, Lebanese, and Turkish dishes. Spitz is not a restaurant in search of an identity; rather, it’s created its own unique brand.

The word “spitz” describes the vertical method of broiling proteins to ensure a flavorful taste. And a “Döner kebab,” along with its cousins the gyro and shawarma, also are prepared using similar methods.

“They all refer to the spit of meat,” said Bryce Rademan, CEO and co-founder of Spitz, who has been in town helping get the West Hartford location – the first in Connecticut and first in the Northeast – up and running. Most of the locations are out west, and currently the closest to the area is in Leesburg, Virginia.

A native of Utah, Rademan said he was first introduced to the German “spitz” while traveling, and grew to love the style of street food that’s ubiquitous in Europe but couldn’t be found in the United States. Growing up, he worked in every sector of the hospitality industry beginning as a teenager.

He was living in LA, and along with co-founder Robert Wicklund, a Minnesota native, took the leap to bring their favorite street food stateside, and opened the first Spitz in Los Angeles. “That was 2006,” the website states. “Before ‘fast casual’ was a thing. Before anyone was putting street art on restaurant walls or craft beer next to a döner wrap.”

West Hartford is the 35th location.

“I hate the word ‘franchise,'” said Rademan. It implies “cookie cutter,” he said, and each Spitz location is unique. “I do believe in local ownership,” he said, so they have expanded carefully and deliberately through the franchise model with owner-operators. Finding “good people” is critical, he said. The beers are local, everything but the bread and the beef and lamb is prepared in house from scratch. “No one feels that it’s a chain or a franchise.”

The website reaffirms that: “We don’t do cookie-cutter. Every location is designed to reflect its neighborhood – local art on the walls, hand painted murals, a vibe that belongs where it lives. The only thing that’s the same everywhere? The vibe.”

Husband and wife team Nick and Paige Chamberlain are the West Hartford franchise owner-operators, and their excitement and friendliness permeates the atmosphere. Both grew up in Simsbury but recently bought a home in West Hartford. They have strong ties to the town, and Paige’s father and grandfather were longtime business owners of West Hartford Lock on Prospect Avenue.

The couple has a family tie to Spitz as well. “Nick’s uncle and cousin were actually the ones who introduced us to Spitz – they own several locations out in Utah,” Paige said in a previous conversation. “After visiting Nick’s family and dining at their locations, we felt the concept would be such a great addition to the Northeast. It’s fun, family-friendly, and delicious.”

The moderately-priced menu is approachable, and clearly indicates the extensive gluten-free and vegan options. They ask about allergies, and can easily accommodate paleo or keto diets.

The Döner kebabs are $14 and include a choice of protein, the salads and bowls (choose between rice or quinoa), and gyros are $12. You can make it a combo with a side and soft drink for another $7.

There are wings available in half-size portions (six for $12) or full-size (12 for $18), and the loaded “Street Cart Fries” ($11.25) are rightfully-recommended as a “must-try” menu item. They are topped with garlic aioli, feta, onion, tomato, green pepper, kalamata olives, and banana peppers.

Another don’t miss is the fried pita strips – tossed in “secret seasoning” – with hummus. (Trust me.)

If you’re having trouble choosing just one entree, there’s a “Döner basket” that includes a bit of almost everything for $16.

“All the sauces are made in-house. The falafel is made in-house,” Nick said. The 10 sauce options include tzatziki, Berliner (tomato, red pepper, fresno chili peppers, caraway seeds, ketchup, white vinegar, and canola oil), zhoug, and harissa.

The only items that are not prepared on-site are the bread and the beef and lamb. All of the meat is halal certified.

The menu is mostly standardized across the locations, but owner-operators do have the opportunity to make some modifications. “Our one demand was chicken fingers for the kids menu,” Nick said.

The kids menu also includes a wrap, “quesadöner” (cheese melted on lavash quesadilla-style), and a kids bowl. The menu also includes two dessert options – including the churro-like cinnamon sugar pita.

The former Plan b space has been repainted and opened up so it appears much larger. The Chamberlains purposely chose a second-generation space to minimize the necessary renovation (they publicly nnounced their plans in February 2026) and officially opened on June 12. They kept many of the original elements, including the tin ceiling, and the booths – which were reupholstered. Nick sanded down and refinished the tables himself.

To follow the Spitz vibe, the walls are covered with art and murals, but it’s all localized. There’s the former Luna Park arch, and an image of the Noah Webster statue. There are excerpts of newspaper clippings about West Hartford a century ago. And there are also images of the Chamberlain’s cats. “Yes, that’s our cat,” Paige said about the striking painting of their black cat, challenging guests to find the image of their second cat.

Spitz Mediterranean Street Food, 138 Park Road, West Hartford, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, or to place an online order, visit the website.

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