Sayyid’s Foods offers taste of India...
Shami Kabab, and Chicken Shami Kabab. Prices start at $500 and go up to $2,200. The Chicken Biryani, Aabidi said, is one of the most popular dishes sold.
Desserts start at $200 per serving and fruit drinks are also available.
Sourcing the ingredients, Aabidi said, is one of his challenges as not many of them are available on the local market and have to be imported from India. While Guyana may have some of the ingredients, he added, the quality is not always the best. An example, he said, is garam masala. He gets around this by importing the individual spices from India and having it made locally by his family members.
Another challenge is finding a delivery service to deliver on time. The businessman
shared that sometimes a delivery service is called but arrives late. The business is then forced to reach out to the customer and explain that their meal would be late. He explained that it is not possible for the business to provide a delivery service, since given the high number of orders it would require an entire fleet to do so. Communication, Aabidi said, is critical when providing a service. It is important that honesty prevails, he added, so even if the news is something he wished he did not have to share, like letting a customer know delivery is running late, he still does so.
“Being honest is the key to a successful business,” shared Aabidi.
Sayyid’s Foods caters for all events. Though the business is mostly operated by family members, there are occasions when large orders are placed, and extra help is required. In these times, Aabidi hires individuals outside of his family. December, he said, was peak season for the business as many companies, ministries and other institutions placed orders for various events including staff lunches and meetings.
The business is open Sunday to Sunday from 9 am to 6.30 pm except on Fridays. Customers are requested to place their orders before 12.30 pm or after 2 pm. The business is closed on Muslim holidays, but customers are always informed in advance.
He hopes that sometime in the near future, Sayyid’s Foods becomes so popular that visitors and returning Guyanese seek it out.
The Aabidi family, the man proudly shared, is gifted with talents including being skilled in technology. They are considering opening a business in this area in the future.
Sayyid’s Foods can be contacted at 623-0565.