Safari - 219 W 116th St, New York, NY 10026
Safari restaurant, based in Harlem on a busy city block, is the only Somali restaurant in New York City. Owned and run by Mona Birjeeb and her husband Shakib Farah, they create authentic cuisine based on family recipes, the food they ate as children and spices they bring back with them from Somali markets.
Safari stayed open during the pandemic, providing take-out and delivery to their customers, though as with most restaurants in the city, they were hugely impacted by the slowdown in business, with sales down about 90%. Though they were struggling with almost no revenue, Mona and Shakib continued their tradition of providing food to their neighbors during Ramadan, something they have done for the last five years. They’ve also donated food to hospitals in their neighborhood, including Harlem hospital. Customers and the program Feed our Superheroes helped both Safari and the hospitals by ordering food for health care workers. Business picked up a bit in the last month as New Yorkers sought to support Black-owned businesses, though that has slowed down. Despite not yet receiving any government support for small businesses, including the Payroll Protection Protection after applying through her bank, Mona maintains her optimism.
They are looking for creative ways to keep offering Somali food to New Yorkers as they adapt to six-foot social distancing and changing regulations. "Outdoor seating is hard when you have a small restaurant because you only have a small sidewalk space”, says Mona. One idea is to expand to counter service. Right now, it’s just the two of them keeping things going and cooking all the food. It’s been harder for small businesses, especially when you are immigrants and Black”, she says, but both Mona and Shakib are focused on the future.