The new owners of Cafe Luna won’t change a thing. They’ll just expand on a good thing.

Taking over a restaurant with an established menu and a cadre of loyal regulars does not seem so daunting – that is until you realize that there are always the little things, and they mount up.

When restaurant veteran Mike Karaki and his family took the reins at Cafe Luna in January, they had to learn the recipes, spruce up the dining room and organize the details of a small business, all while serving customers seven days a week.

“Getting everything together, it’s a lot of work,” Karaki says. “We need a nine-day week.”

The family has plans for the cafe anchoring a corner of Carmel Plaza. Their intention is to leave the existing menu unchanged, with an exception.

Over the past three months, Karaki and his wife Linda have been testing traditional Mediterranean fare as daily specials. Instead of sifting out menu items, the goal is to expand offerings to include kafta, shawarma and other dishes, all made from scratch.

“We’re keeping the homemade potstickers and ramen,” Karaki explains. “They are very popular. You don’t want to take away something people like.”

Cafe Luna has been an indoor-outdoor dining haven for many years, thanks to their touch with Asian comfort foods, breakfast dishes and baked goods. Yet the Mediterranean specials have proven popular, as well. The restaurant often sells out of items, and Karaki says the feedback from guests has been overwhelmingly positive.

Linda Karaki, a talented chef, knows why.

“It’s really authentic – homemade sauces, homemade everything,” she says.

Mike agrees, explaining, “I like everything made fresh. It’s always better. People love authentic flavors, even if it takes longer to prepare.”

They make baklava step by step, pampering each frail layer as they build. It’s a task the Karakis take on themselves rather than turning it over to an employee without the same history. “We know the flavors,” he says.

That ethic applies even to maamoul, delicate cookies dusted with powdered sugar that are considered holiday treats. The rich date filling in one version reveals a lilting floral note over the natural earthy-sweet comfort of the fruit. Linda seasons the filling with rosewater and blossom water, and the combination leaves your palate in an exotic quandary. In pistachio form, the mellow savor of the nut filling underscores the meltaway sweetness of the cookie.

The couple are Lebanese and both insist on proper ingredients. Linda’s skill in the kitchen is what led the couple into foodservice. She would share dishes with friends, who then encouraged her to open a place.

“That’s where we got the idea,” Mike points out. “If people love the food, let’s do a restaurant.”

They opened a venue in Egypt and it was an instant success. After 14 years, the couple sold the restaurant and moved to Monterey County with the goal of again owning a place.

But the Karakis are exceedingly patient. They worked in area restaurants for more than two decades, absorbing the different styles of cooking and becoming part of the community as they raised a family and bided their time.

“You cannot open a restaurant when you have kids at home,” Mike reasons – especially at a place like Cafe Luna, which is open every day.

The couple applied that same patience as they tested – and continue to test – Mediterranean dishes. Their years of experience in professional kitchens and their trove of family recipes gives them a lot to try out.

“We wanted to see how people react [to each special],” Mike explains.

What the new owners are bringing to Cafe Luna is an opportunity for guests to explore. They can order their usual breakfast or lunchtime ramen. But when the Karakis settle on Mediterranean additions – which will include new vegetarian and vegan options – it will be possible to break up the routine with a shawarma. And that seems like a winning recipe.

“This is their regular spot,” says Sara Serrano, the couple’s daughter, of Cafe Luna’s following. “Being part of the community means not rippling the waters.”

CAFE LUNA is in the Carmel Plaza, Ocean and Mission, Carmel. 250-7815.