Oren’s first Hummus Express ready to open in Palo Alto

Oren’s Hummus, the growing Bay Area group of Israeli restaurants, is making its initial foray into the fast-casual world.

The first of this new concept, Oren’s Hummus Express, will open at 11 a.m. Monday, May 6, at Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village.

The hummus and pita will be made fresh several times daily for the made-to-order hummus bowls and pita sandwiches filled with Moroccan beef, braised lamb, stewed eggplant, chicken shawarma and more. A grab-and-go case will serve customers in an even bigger hurry.

And with nearby Palo Alto High School in mind, Oren’s has developed a student special: For $7.50, students can buy a Green or Yellow Falafel Pita Sandwich, Cabbage Pita Sandwich, Sabich Pita Sandwich (that’s fried eggplant and hard-boiled eggs) or Classic Hummus Bowl with valid student ID at time of order pickup.

By year’s end, there should be other Express locations in the East Bay and San Francisco, the company said.

The move comes about eight years after Silicon Valley tech veteran Oren Dobronsky, who missed the food of his native Tel Aviv, opened his first restaurant on University Avenue in Palo Alto. That was followed by locations in Mountain View, Cupertino and San Francisco.

Making the expansion possible is a new 8,500-square-foot commissary kitchen located in San Jose, the company said.