Mar. 04, 2009 - Issue #698: Mind The Gap
Sabetghadam Family
We're all in this together: Sabzy Café is truly a family affair
Ali, 19, and his family, which includes his brother Hossein, 22, sister Nafysseh, 26, and parents Ahmad and Aghdas Golchi, decided to fill the city’s void of Persian cuisine. The timing couldn’t have been better, as the Sabetghadams had just celebrated their 15th year in Canada, and were eager for an opportunity that would allow them to work together.
“A family is already a success if you’re together,” states Hossein. “Instead of building something yourself, if you build up something that is already so strong, your chances of succeeding are way better.”
Starting a restaurant seemed to be a good fit, as Aghdas passed along her knowledge of food to all of her children at a young age.
“From childhood, our mom has taught us how to eat fresh and how to mix vegetables so that they all complement one another,” shares Nafysseh. “She taught us the nutritional values of it all, too, so we all grew up with an understanding of nutrition.”
Hossein provided a slightly different take: “I was pretty confident that Persian food is a seller. There was no question about it.”
Defining Persian food starts with the name of the café: “sabzy” translates from Farsi to mean a blend of seasonal herbs. “If you go to Iran and order a salad,” explains Ali, “they bring you sabzy.” Basil, mint, cilantro and parsley are integrated into many of their dishes, and can be eaten as a side. The restaurant also serves traditional beef and lamb kabobs, using halal meat ground in-house, and between Thursdays and Sundays, provide Persian specialties such as fesenjan stew, made with pomegranate molasses and walnuts.
Sabzy Café also caters to vegetarians and vegans, which not only makes business sense, but also falls in line with the flavours inherent in Persian cuisine. Nafysseh, the family’s only vegetarian, reveals, “A vegetarian diet is really easy when it comes to Persian food because it’s just as tasty without meat. For example, there’s a lot of legumes in our stews, so it balances out.”
The family worked hard over the past four months to ensure the restaurant would be ready in January. Nafysseh, Hossein and Ali quit their jobs to focus on the family business, and each found an area that meshed with their personal interests. Nafysseh, having completed a certificate in interior design a few years ago, shaped the restaurant, down to the colours on the walls (the deep purple, light green, and rich yellow “represents the colours of vegetables and fruits,” says Aghdas). Hossein, with a business background, took on marketing and website development. Ali, eager to help his father, has been assisting with the time- and labour-intensive kabob preparation. Ahmad and Aghdas have maintained their day jobs in teaching and human resources, respectively, and act “as our backup in the restaurant,” claims Ali.
The close-knit family decided to focus on attracting a different clientele than most of the area’s establishments.
“Whyte Ave has a lot of places that you can pick up alcohol,” explains Ali. “We’re trying to stay as far away from that as possible. We’re family-oriented ourselves and we want to draw in families.”
Sabzy has seen their fair share of mothers with children and seniors in their first month, and also, by offering free wireless internet, hope to draw in tech-savvy youth. “We really want young people to come here because this is a very safe place,” says Aghdas.
While the Sabetghadams admit that it is too early to know if their endeavour will be a success, they’re not taking the time they have together for granted. But with their focus on well-prepared and fresh fare served in a welcoming atmosphere, there is no doubt Sabzy Café fills more than a Persian niche on Whyte Avenue. V
Sabetghadam Family
Sabzy Café
10416 - 82 Ave, 780.758.1005
New comments for this entry have been turned off and any existing ones are hidden. We apologize for any inconvenience.