Longtime leader of Raleigh’s oldest restaurant dies at age 68
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- Paul Dombalis, longtime owner of The Mecca, died June 18 at age 68.
- He took over The Mecca in 1990 after working there since age 11.
- He sold The Mecca in 2018 and retired to Kure Beach.
Paul Dombalis, the longtime leader and owner of Raleigh’s oldest restaurant, died on Thursday, June 18. He was 68.
Dombalis was the third-generation owner and operator of The Mecca, the diner-style restaurant that’s been a staple in Raleigh since 1930. The restaurant was founded by his grandparents Nick and Helen Dombalis and then operated by his parents John and Floye.
Paul Dombalis started working at The Mecca at 11 years old and eventually took it over in 1990, operating it until 2018 when it was sold to downtown Raleigh restaurateur Greg Hatem. After selling the restaurant, Paul retired to Kure Beach, his family said.
Dombalis’ death was announced in an obituary by his family. No cause of death was shared.
Downtown Raleigh kids
When your family restaurant is a centerpiece of Downtown Raleigh, the city blocks become your playground. Growing up, the Dombalis children Mary, Nick and Paul knew the downtown streets like they were family, walking to school, getting high vantage points for the Christmas parades.
“We were downtown Raleigh natives; downtown was our home and The Mecca was home base,” Paul’s sister Mary Dombalis Winstead said in a phone interview.
And when your family runs a restaurant, your childhood is often centered in its dining room and kitchen. For Paul, the restaurant always seemed like a higher calling, Mary said.
“It was innate,” Mary said of Paul Dombalis’ connection to The Mecca. “There was something about the restaurant. We would have our birthday parties at The Mecca, we loved being on those stools at the red counter.”
The Mecca
There is no more iconic Raleigh restaurant than The Mecca, which spent decades hosting and feeding the city’s lawmakers, judges and downtown workers.
Paul Dombalis grew up in the restaurant, first operating the two-story dumbwaiter. At 20, he started working in his parents’ restaurant full-time and a decade or so later took it over himself.
“He was just so proud of the family and working in the restaurant,” his son John Paul Dombalis said in a phone interview. “He valued consistency, he didn’t even like to close for a hurricane.”
As its steward, Paul Dombalis added beloved dishes like San Francisco Chicken, a baked broccoli dish, and lasagna.
Current Mecca owner Greg Hatem said that the storied restaurant can be particularly proud of the Paul Dombalis era.
“Paul was one of the kindest and hardest working people I’ve ever known,” Hatem said. “He was the heart and soul of The Mecca restaurant the last 20 years.”
Since John Dombalis died in 2002, Paul worked alongside his mother Floye for years, crediting her with the restaurant’s bookkeeping while he ran the kitchen. The pair were a popular fixture in the restaurant, greeting the steady flow of customers and regulars nestled in the booths and barstools. Floye Dombalis died in 2023 at age 96.
“Paul’s legacy lives on in the countless meals shared at The Mecca, the genuine friendships formed across its lunch counter, and the enduring example he set through a lifetime of service and remarkable chapter in Raleigh’s history,” the Dombalis family said in an obituary. “His family is eternally grateful for his selflessness and devotion as he kept the restaurant running.”
This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Longtime leader of Raleigh’s oldest restaurant dies at age 68."
