Egyptian restaurant offers free meals to those in need
“If you want to be happy, help others.” This is the philosophy of Atiya Yousef, manager of an Egyptian restaurant offering free meals to those who need them.
Fatta Kawareh, a restaurant known for traditional Egyptian food in Abu Hail, has a sign that says: “Everything belongs to Allah. Free meals to those who need.”
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Yousef said the initiative started when the owners of the restaurant noticed people who couldn't afford the meals walking into the restaurant.
“They started to think about how to best provide them with a decent meal. And then we suggested this initiative, which we used to do back home in Alexandria.”
The initiative started from the holy month of Ramadan, when the Abu Hail branch opened. Yousef said they noticed that many people were going through difficult times, especially since the start of the pandemic.
“We just wanted to help. This all belongs to God, and it is an Islamic duty (to help those in need),” he said.
After seeing many people in need, the staff became adept at spotting them immediately and they sometimes reach out to them. “The minute we see them outside, we know who they are, and we give them the meals. You see the issue is that sometimes people are embarrassed, but we believe that as a human being you have the right to eat and to live,” he said.
However, it is sometimes difficult to get people to come forward. “They were hesitant in the beginning. We see people who need the food but they don't come in, and so we invite them,” Yousef said, adding that others come in just for a free meal if they're working.
“We don't stop them or question them, we truly believe that charity doesn't decrease money,” he said. If someone is hungry but doesn't really like Egyptian food, they have a solution. “We can't force everyone to like Egyptian food, so we give them sandwiches or any other alternative meal that isn't strictly Egyptian.”
He also said that they try to have variety in their free meal offerings so that those receiving them aren't bored.
When asked if the initiative has affected their business, he said it is God who sends them customers every day. “You know, the day when we don't give away any free meals, we actually don't do well business-wise.”
It also makes sense to give away the free meals, he explained, because you can't keep the food in the restaurant for the next day. “So why not give it away? It's very important that we put ourselves in others' shoes,” he said.
Yousef said that he wishes other restaurants would adopt similar initiatives to reach more people. In fact, there have been other similar initiatives in the past. Earlier this year, another restaurant Yummy Dosa, announced that they would be giving free meals to blood doners till the end of 2022. They made the announcement on World Blood Donor Day and said the initiative is aimed at showing appreciation to the donors' selfless acts of helping others.