Maryam Food Mart is opening its doors Monday. At 14 S. Court St., Maryam Food Mart fills the vacant, former Mac Shack spot.
The signage outside lists dishes the new spot has to offer, including gyros, seafood and more.
Mac Shack, known for their various macaroni and cheese options, was a popular dining hotspot before its closure in summer 2025.
Ella Edwards, a sophomore studying film, was a fan of Mac Shack before its closure, despite not typically enjoying mac and cheese.
“I just remember being devastated,” Edwards said. “I just miss it, It was the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had in my life.”
Not only was Mac Shack’s food a popular staple for Athens, but it also had a lively atmosphere that drew its customers in.
Raul Rana, a sophomore studying piano performance, grew up in Athens, and was a frequent customer at Mac Shack prior to its shutdown.
“I feel like the thing that I missed the most was when me and my friends would hang out and just go and hang out in there,” Rana said. “It was a cute little area and I liked the music that they played. It was really nice.”
Before its closure, Mac Shack was a favored dining option. The remaining Mac Shack signage acted as a reminder for the vacancy of the beloved restaurant.
“I think it was probably the best place to eat in Athens, in my opinion,” Edwards said.
Now, after over a year, a new business has filled Mac Shack’s shoes. Maryam Food Mart is officially taking its spot. Their menu and logo appeared on the building’s windows a few weeks ago, and a team got to work on the remodeling process shortly after.
Shadi Jallaq, the contractor for Maryam Food Mart, is overseeing the project and said it has been going smoothly.
“It’ll be much more updated and modern, considering the fact that we’re all using more modern material,” Jallaq said through an interpreter. “But other than that, nothing drastic from the outside. It’s just more updated, I guess you could say, with the drywall, flooring and paint job. It’s gonna be in a much better condition than what it was before.”
Maryam Food Mart is family-owned. Muhammad Ashiq, the manager of neighboring Big Mamma’s Burritos, said both restaurants are in the same chain.
Zaib Khan and Zaib Jaman, the owners and managers of the new business, are preparing their mart with its final touches and are ready to welcome all the customers of Athens.
“All the students nearby and all the neighborhood people, that is going to attract all of them,” Khan said.
Court Street is known for its vivacious atmosphere and its wide variety of businesses. As a new business on Court Street, Khan and Jaman have yet to meet all of the nearby companies.
“We just moved in, so of course we are looking forward to work with them,” Khan said. “We’re gonna speak with them, and we’re gonna spend time, make good relations with them.”
With Maryam Food Mart opening Monday, Edwards said she hopes it can live up to Mac Shack.
“I’m definitely gonna be trying it with my roommate,” Edwards said. “We’re definitely gonna be like, ‘let’s go see what they replaced it with,’ because I want to see. And if it’s good, I’ll be honest and say it’s good.”
Rana, having grown up in Athens, has seen the pattern of businesses opening and closing throughout their lifetime.
“On one hand, that restaurant looks like it has a lot of options, so I feel like a lot of people are gonna want to go there just because of how much variety they have,” Rana said. “There’s something about so many local businesses coming and conjoining in just one town and not branching out that kind of kills the funding that goes towards the city a little bit.”
Although holding minimal expectations, Rana is curious as to what Maryam Food Mart has to offer.
“I’m wondering if they’re gonna have interesting drinks or stuff like that because I know a lot of people who go uptown love coffee,” Rana said. “I’m interested to see what they have to offer, because, from what they have posted I don’t really see a lot of that stuff uptown.”
Maryam Food Mart finished their final touches over the past few weeks, and finally opened their doors on Monday.
As the newest business on lively Court Street preceding such a popular restaurant, there is some pressure from students and mac and cheese lovers on Maryam Food Mart to live up to Mac Shack’s reputation.
“I would say everybody should come at least visit once and try our food,” Khan said. “I truly hope that they will like our food.”
