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This article was published 05/11/2018 (2717 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Issa Qandeel has two goals for his new store: to provide newcomers with a taste of home and to become the local grocer for residents in
Wolseley and the West End.
Qandeel is the owner of Blady Middle
Eastern, a small grocery store at 1324 Portage Ave. that specializes in fresh spices, halal meats, cheeses, pickles, homemade bread and pantry items.
“People want to see something different, not just the Middle Eastern people or the immigrants that come every day from Syria, from Libya… the community here, I think they want to support local businesses,” he said.
Qandeel came to Winnipeg from Palestine for university and was previously a part owner of a local Middle Eastern restaurant.
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When he decided to branch out and start his own business, he was inspired by grocery store culture back home in Ramallah and his family’s success in the market.
“I thought about opening a grocery store similar to what we had back home,” Qandeel said, explaining that small, independent grocery stores, butcher shops and bakeries, as opposed to big box stores, are the norm in Palestine.
His grandfather opened the family store in 1963 and the business has grown to include a chocolate shop and wholesale supplier — which Qandeel orders much of his stock from.
Blady opened on Oct. 26 and so far the response from the local community has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We’ve had a lot of people from the area and they are so excited,” Qandeel’s wife Imane Ibnoughazala said. “Some customers told me that they’ve been waiting a long time to open a store like a grocery store here because it’s so far to drive.”
“When you want to grab a cucumber or a hummus or a snack, you just have to go from your house to here,” Qandeel added.
Ibnoughazala is from Morocco and has a background in culinary arts. She’s most excited about working in the store’s bakery and hopes other newcomers to Canada will find comfort in the ingredients stocking the shelves at Blady.
“I miss my food and my stuff from back home… and other people like that can find it here and they will be happy,” she said.
Having been open for less than a week, Qandeel says he’s taking cues from customers about what they want in the store.
“I’ll see where people want to see… I want the business to support the community too,” he said, adding that he’s already added fresh produce and milk to the stock for those who have asked.
Qandeel studied economics at the University of Manitoba and accounting at Red River College and says that while opening his own business has been a lot of work, he’s looking forward to what the future holds.
“There’s responsibility, there’s risk, there’s a lot of stress with opening a business, but still you can make your own living,” he said. “I chose this path, it might take some time but I hope it is successful.”
Issa Qandeel has two goals for his new store: to provide newcomers with a taste of home and to become the local grocer for residents in Wolseley and the West End.
Qandeel is the owner of Blady Middle Eastern, a small grocery store at 1324 Portage Ave. that specializes in fresh spices, halal meats, cheeses, pickles, homemade bread and pantry items.
Eva Wasney
Blady Middle Eastern owner Issa Qandeel (right) and his wife Imane Ibnoughazala stand in their new specialty grocery store at 1324 Portage Ave.
“People want to see something different, not just the Middle Eastern people or the immigrants that come every day from Syria, from Libya… the community here, I think they want to support local businesses,” he said.
Qandeel came to Winnipeg from Palestine for university and was previously a part owner of a local Middle Eastern restaurant.
When he decided to branch out and start his own business, he was inspired by grocery store culture back home in Ramallah and his family’s success in the market.
“I thought about opening a grocery store similar to what we had back home,” Qandeel said, explaining that small, independent grocery stores, butcher shops and bakeries, as opposed to big box stores, are the norm in Palestine.
His grandfather opened the family store in 1963 and the business has grown to include a chocolate shop and wholesale supplier — which Qandeel orders much of his stock from.
Blady opened on Oct. 26 and so far the response from the local community has been overwhelmingly positive.
Eva Wasney
Butcher Muraf Abdul Karim shows off some of the halal meats offered at Blady Middle Eastern.
“We’ve had a lot of people from the area and they are so excited,” Qandeel’s wife Imane Ibnoughazala said. “Some customers told me that they’ve been waiting a long time to open a store like a grocery store here because it’s so far to drive.”
“When you want to grab a cucumber or a hummus or a snack, you just have to go from your house to here,” Qandeel added.
Ibnoughazala is from Morocco and has a background in culinary arts. She’s most excited about working in the store’s bakery and hopes other newcomers to Canada will find comfort in the ingredients stocking the shelves at Blady.
“I miss my food and my stuff from back home… and other people like that can find it here and they will be happy,” she said.
Having been open for less than a week, Qandeel says he’s taking cues from customers about what they want in the store.
“I’ll see where people want to see… I want the business to support the community too,” he said, adding that he’s already added fresh produce and milk to the stock for those who have asked.
Eva Wasney
Blady Middle Eastern’s deli has a wide selection of pickles and olives.
Qandeel studied economics at the University of Manitoba and accounting at Red River College and says that while opening his own business has been a lot of work, he’s looking forward to what the future holds.
“There’s responsibility, there’s risk, there’s a lot of stress with opening a business, but still you can make your own living,” he said. “I chose this path, it might take some time but I hope it is successful.”
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