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.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n “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. <\/p>\n Qandeel came to Winnipeg from Palestine for university and was previously a part owner of a local Middle Eastern restaurant. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n “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. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Blady opened on Oct. 26 and so far the response from the local community has been overwhelmingly positive.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “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. <\/p>\n Having been open for less than a week, Qandeel says he’s taking cues from customers about what they want in the store. <\/p>\n.jpg?w=1000)
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