00:00I believe family business it should be dividing the job with everyone and everyone have be
00:06responsible for his what they're doing and the most important to share everything together.
00:14Today I learned something very interesting. Well I came down here to interview the owners
00:20of Alsapadi restaurant. It is a Lebanese family-run business and very very successful
00:27here in the UAE and of course I wanted to know what made them so successful and their journey.
00:33I start in this business on 76 when I was 13 years old and I start as a butcher with my father
00:44that he choose me to help him in his business. So when I come to work with him they give me
00:49the first job as a cleaner and helper for two years and after when I learn I choose my way.
00:56So I went to Saudi Arabia when I was 19 years old and I choose to be butcher in restaurant and I
01:04like the idea I learn I understand everything I was preparing the meat for the restaurant and
01:12on 80 84 I went back to my country and I start my very small restaurant with my brother and we
01:22start the idea from this point. On 94 we had our big restaurant in Lebanon and we become very very
01:31famous. One of my friend he advised me asked me to come to Dubai is my partner his name Kamal Gheis
01:39and we come together to visit the city on 99 September 99 and we got the idea I love the city
01:49and I want to say very honestly Dubai changed my life and I start my first restaurant on Deira
01:59and it was good starting for us very very well from that restaurant we we increased the restaurant
02:07for 1200 square meter we start with 500 square meter and after on 2003 we make the restaurant
02:16in Sheikh Zayed Road and everything it was very smooth and very good and the market very healthy
02:24the base of Safadi it's five things quality quantity service clean and price to be honest
02:31with your customer and to love your business. I'm a third generation in this business and I currently
02:37handle the marketing in the company and so many other responsibilities. I grew up in this business
02:43it was my playground since I was a kid so it was our hangout and we never want we wanted to come
02:48see our dad at work we used to come and and chill here in the restaurant and spend most of our time
02:53here. So when I started working I discovered and I realized that there's so many things that I
02:57learned from him when I was a kid and before I started working that when I started actually
03:02working I realized I have learned so many things from him. One of the most things I learned was
03:08his dedication and his passion the amount of time he spent in the business
03:15and his humbleness in his business so my dad will you should I would always see him
03:20back when we're younger back when the company was smaller you would always always see him
03:25behind the counters running walking around helping the guys out checking if everything is right
03:30so I think this is one of the most important things I learned from him so to be always to
03:34always be hands-on in this business and I think this is what what led us to this success.
03:39How it can be as a very success business and family like both of them to mix the family
03:47and the business I tell you how I choose to not be one man show I have my personality to
03:53make my kids and my managers responsible and I give them their job you have to let them learn
04:00they do some some mistake or something but they have to learn to stand up if you not fall down
04:06you never learn how to stand up you have to make it teamwork this is one of our success
04:11really this is the base of our success nobody work alone in Safadi so that's why I believe
04:17family business it should be dividing the job with everyone and everyone have be responsible
04:23for his what they're doing and the most important to share everything together
04:28you know so this is kind of the best success for family business.
04:32How interesting was that do you know another family that is running a successful business
04:38here in the UAE do let us know it's a wrap this is Anjana Kumar for Gulf News.
Comments