Paul Dombalis, longtime owner of Raleigh's The Mecca, dies at 68

Paul Dombalis, the third-generation owner of downtown Raleigh’s The Mecca, died June 18 at 68, removing one of the last direct links to a restaurant that has outlasted generations of change around the North Carolina State Capitol.

Dombalis was born April 11, 1958, and grew up in Mordecai before going to work at The Mecca when he was 11, operating the dumbwaiter as a child in a restaurant that had already become part of Raleigh’s civic landscape. He later took on leadership responsibilities in 1990 and managed the restaurant for 47 years before retiring and moving to Kure Beach. Visit Raleigh says The Mecca was opened by Greek immigrant Nick Dombalis on May 1, 1930, and has been in its current location at 13 E. Martin St. since 1935.

The restaurant’s customer base reflected its place in downtown life. Visit Raleigh describes The Mecca as a long-running breakfast spot that served lawyers, legislators, judges and other regulars near the Capitol. That mix of table service and public life helped turn the restaurant into more than a neighborhood diner. It became a daily meeting point for Raleigh’s legal and political classes, while also staying open to anyone walking in for a meal.

Dombalis was remembered for extending the same respect to every guest, whether the diner was a prominent figure in downtown Raleigh or someone simply looking for food. That approach helped define The Mecca’s reputation as an institution built on continuity, routine and personal service rather than reinvention.

His funeral visitation was held June 23 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, where he had served as an altar boy as a child. The funeral service followed June 24 at 11 a.m., and burial took place at Historic Oakwood Cemetery. Those details underscored how closely his life stayed tied to Raleigh’s religious, neighborhood and business history.

The family’s stewardship of The Mecca changed in 2018, when the Dombalis family sold the restaurant to Greg Hatem and Empire Eats. At the time, Hatem said, “We take great comfort in knowing The Mecca is in good hands and we look forward to seeing what the future holds.” Empire Eats said it would update the building and kitchen equipment as needed and consider adding Sunday hours, but keep the restaurant largely the same.

The Mecca opened in 1930 and survived downtown Raleigh’s reshaping from a smaller capital city into a growing urban center. Dombalis’ death closes a chapter in that story and leaves the restaurant’s next era carrying an unusually long local inheritance.